Gringa

Throughout Gringa, Gabor shows what a powerhouse actress she is. While higher budget films would use fat suits or special makeup effects to simulate being overweight, Gabor hunches her shoulders and twists herself up in body dysmorphic contortions, showing us how fat Marge feels. This method works splendidly further on as well. Her fitness training for surfing transforms Marge, and the actor, through stance and posture, establishes progress instead of just taking off a fat suit. Her emotional acting is even more powerful than her physical acting. Many viewers will read her anguish as genuine.

“…Gabor shows what a powerhouse actress she is.”

But what brought me to the film is that it wears the Steve Zahn seal of approval. Zahn is one of the most talented actors on the planet, so any project he agrees to be in has to have something to it. Here he delivers a stellar performance of the blank horizon of alcoholism. You can see him slamming into the walls of the glass maze of the bottle. If acting is tricking the viewer into believing something made up is real, then Zahn is a master of reality. Many viewers will also see a familiar demon behind Zahn’s eyes here.

Gringa presents some pulsing portraits of broken people trying to mend themselves. Thank god they’re doing it surf side, as they definitely deserve to get their groove back.

Gringa screened at the 2023 Cinequest Film Festival.