Absent [Ausente] *** (2011, Carlos Echevarría, Javier De Pietro, Antonella Costa) – Classic Movie Review 13,079

Argentine director Marco Berger’s rigorous and exacting 2011 drama film Absent [Ausente] stars Javier De Pietro as a young Argentinian student who is vying for the love and affection of his high school sports coach (Carlos Echevarría). 

Argentine director Marco Berger’s rigorous and exacting 2011 Spanish-language drama film Absent [Ausente] stars Javier De Pietro as young Argentinian student and athlete Martin who is exploring the reactions of his well-meaning high school sports coach Sebastian (Carlos Echevarría), while vying for his love and affection.

The film deals with the topic of sexual abuse of students, but provocatively flips the usual story, as this time it is a 16-year-old student who seeks to lure his coach into a sexual relationship, and lies to him and tricks him in order to try to do so.

Sebastián initially tries to keep Martín at a distance while trying to be kind and nurturing, while Martín goes to great lengths to get close to him. When Martín hurts his eye at his swimming class, Sebastián takes him to hospital, but the boy connives to end up spending the night at Sebastián’s house.

The two performances are impeccable, with De Pietro, in his first film role, having no problem keeping up with the experienced Echevarría, and Berger’s screenplay is both subtle and challenging, with something original to say and a fresh way of doing it.

The cast are Carlos Echevarría as Sebastián, Javier De Pietro as Martín, Antonella Costa as Mariana, Rocío Pavón as Analía, and Alejandro Barbero as Juan Pablo.

In 2011 the film won the Teddy Award for Best Feature at the Berlin International Film Festival (Berlinale).

Argentine film director and screenwriter Marco Berger was born on 8 December 1977.

The films of Marco Berger: Plan B (2009), Absent [Ausente] (2011), Hawaii (2013), Butterfly [Mariposa] (2015), Taekwondo (2016), The Blond One [Un Rubio] (2019),Young Hunter [El Cazador] (2020), The Carnival (2021), Horseplay (2023), and The Astronaut Lovers [Los amantes astronautas] (2024).

Javier De Pietro was born on October 9, 1987 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He is an actor and assistant director, known for Absent (2011), She Wolf (2013), Bromance (2016) and 10 Palomas (2021).

He is also in Berger’s short films El primo (2012) and Amorcito (2913), and in Berger’s Young Hunter [El Cazador] (2020).

© Derek Winnert 2024 – Classic Movie Review 13,079

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