The director has an elegant eye, framing a simple talking and drinking around a fire scene in a visually striking way. Cata goes behind the fire and takes a drink. The boy she’s with is watching her from where they were sitting. The fire is dead center, and the spikes of the flame interrupt his view of her. But it also signifies how Cata is being reborn. It matters not whether viewers want to buy into the possession angle or believe that she’s simply coming into her own amidst this tragedy. The point is that Cata’s becoming someone else, even if that new person pulls her family apart. The film possesses a poetic, lyrical quality that Iglesias maintains throughout its 97-minute runtime.
Stein is a revelation from the beginning to the end of Forastera. Cata flirts like a real teen, but as she becomes more and more like grandma, the actor straightens her posture, holds her head in subtly different ways, and the like. The transformation is all in the small gestures, which makes it all feel more realistic. Stein should become a household name for this performance, and if she can keep up this level of acting, she will be a huge star sooner rather than later.
“Stein is a revelation…”
That isn’t to imply that the co-stars are not good as well. It is quite the opposite, as everyone is elegiac, intense, sweet, and authentic. Homar performs when Cata tells Grandpa not to yell at her, and he insists he wasn’t with quiet stubbornness. Maybe she did misinterpret what and how he said what he said. Perhaps in his current hazy state, he took out his frustrations on her by accident. Homar plays it where either version makes sense. García is great as the younger sister who believed her sister never truly cared about their family. She gets a few tough scenes and manages to find their emotional truth every time.
Forastera is quiet, powerful, and elegant. It is artfully directed by a relative newcomer and anchored by an astonishing turn from Stein. When those elements are paired with the contemplative script and strong supporting cast, it becomes impossible to deny that this film is anything short of excellent in every way.
"…quiet, powerful, and elegant."
