What Funes pulls off is finding the most natural interactions to recreate in order to bring the verisimilitude on hard. The above mentioned incident where Zegers tells the children about Father Christmas hiring her taxi to bring their presents is a perfect example. It is one of those resonating scenes which seems frivolous but actually sets a tone that is maintained in the back of your mind throughout. The same goes for Zegers’ interactions with the gang of female taxi drivers she hangs out with. You get that warmth in your belly that comes from suddenly being in the middle of a really good conversation. The intimacy that the viewer experiences within these interactions is impressive and the naturalism is almost alarming for a movie.
The Exiles is the kind of revelation where, as an American critic, you really start to wonder why you have to go overseas for innovative dramas. After all, it is pictures like these where performers really get to show their stuff. Lara gets the role of a lifetime for such a young actress. Her dedication to utterly realistic reactions to even the most dire situation is rock solid. Zegers is once again a marvel.
“…Funes has hit a nerve here and it hurts so good…”
I was blown away by her work in Too Old To Die Young, the most breathtaking TV series ever made, but she really upped the ante here. The viewer is privy to all the juggling of faces she has to do in order to endure the daily desperation. Zegers creates a thin shield of bravado while allowing the endless sea of doubt that roars underneath. You could not ask for a better actress to show the extremity of what so many people in the world experience in the face of skyrocketing rents.
I know that some go to the movies to escape, but I really relish seeing movies where the impossible problems of modern life are hit head on. Funes has hit a nerve here and it hurts so good. The Exiles shows the next stage of cinema’s evolution at capturing real life, as it rings as true as the Lumiere brothers oncoming train back when.
The Exiles (Los Tortuga) screened at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival.
"…shows the next stage of cinema's evolution at capturing real life"
