I almost saw this at an Arizona festival months ago, and boy, do I wish I had, as this is a ground floor I would have loved to have been on. A good drama is hard to find, especially such an unpredictable one. Much of the uniqueness of Ariel: Back To Buenos Aires stems from being based on real-life occurrences that most would never imagine. It is Murray’s filtration of the subject matter through a hybrid of a dance movie crossed with a dark underside film that is pulsing genius. It’s like Blue Velvet meets Dirty Dancing, and the results are spectacular. Imagine Johnny and Baby dancing at the Slow Club while Dorothy sings “Blue Velvet” to get an idea of the atmosphere created. It is both sensual and blood-curdling at once.
You do not have to have any knowledge or appreciation of tango prior to watching. The way Murray unfolds the law of tango will make you feel like an expert in no time. You also do not need any prior knowledge of Argentina to be able to follow the plot line. Once again, everything you need will be provided, including a strange assortment of thrills. The kicks gotten from the dance sequences and their underlying tension provide pace and timing to the revealing of the more fearsome elements. Each marvelous step takes you closer to something unseen and sinister.
“…climax is jaw-dropping, with some serious dramatic turns and escalations that I haven’t encountered…”
Each frame looks like a million bucks. The magnificent cinematography by Mat Barkley, Sergio Pineyro, and Rodrigo Pulpeiro is always finding these fantastic angles dripping with elegant lighting. They make the camera whirl on these great tracking shots that move swiftly like the dancers. The score by Pauchi Sasaki is a joy as well, keeping the flow no matter where we end up. The performance by Rosato is exceptional, taking us by the hand on her end of this odd journey. Her emotional obstacle course is extremely tricky here, and she runs circles around it. I am surprised I have only caught her in Bad Santa 2, as I expect to see more leads for her after this. Grosz-Harvey is given an impossible taste of being tormented without wearing on one’s nerves. I kept wishing that he would stop wingeing all the time, but it turns out he has legitimate reasons.
The climax is jaw-dropping, with some serious dramatic turns and escalations that I haven’t encountered in another movie. Murray also maintains a high queer presence throughout the movie, even though neither lead has a homoerotic encounter. This is refreshing as a tall glass of queer lemonade with a twist. It is finally feeling like we have arrived at that magic point in the future where same-sex interactions are as unremarkable as having mail delivered. Ariel: Back To Buenos Aires is a must for lovers of heavy dramas. You will be amazed by the eclectic emotions that this picture will stir in you.
Ariel: Back To Buenos Aires screened at the 2023 San Diego International Film Festival!
"…a must for lovers of heavy dramas..."
