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This article was written on 17 Feb 2025, and is filled under Reviews.

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End of the Century [Fin de Siglo] *** (2019, Juan Barberini, Ramón Pujol, Mía Maestro) – Classic Movie Review 13,403

The charming 2019 Argentine romantic drama film End of the Century [Fin de Siglo] stars Juan Barberini as Ocho, a poet from Argentina on vacation in Barcelona, who hooks up with Javi (Ramón Pujol), a Spaniard from Berlin. But they already met 20 years ago.

Writer/ director Lucio Castro’s sweet and charming 2019 Argentine romantic drama film End of the Century [Fin de Siglo] stars Juan Barberini as Ocho, a 30-something poet from Argentina on vacation in Barcelona, who has a casual sexual encounter with Javi (Ramón Pujol), a Spaniard from Berlin. He is wearing a KISS T-shirt, which Ocho has encountered before.

After spending a romantic day together, Javi tells Ocho that they have already met 20 years earlier in 1999, when they were both unsure about their sexuality and afraid to pursue a relationship. Soon, in 2019, a budding romance begins, but…
The film flashes back to 1999 and pursues the details of their first meeting, then back to the 2019 present, then forward to some might-have-been fantasy realities, taking in along the way a little sweaty sex, quite a lot of intelligent and poignant talk, a little realism about love, relationships, the passing of time, the possible need for children, and quite a lot of charm. It makes for a fairly light, pleasing experience, tender, haunting and quite beautiful.  It has a sophisticated structure and elegant visual style that are quite mesmerising, compelling you into its world.
Juan Barberini and Ramón Pujol are strong and appealing as the main characters, made for each other, but seemingly destined to be apart, Or are they?
It also stars Mía Maestro as Sonia, Javi’s opera singing girlfriend in 1999 at the time of the original meeting.
End of the Century [Fin de Siglo] premiered at the New Directors/New Films Festival on 30 March 2019. It had its Argentine premiere on 8 April at the Buenos Aires International Festival of Independent Cinema, winning Best Argentine Film. It screened at LGBT and general film festivals, and won the award for Best First Feature at the Frameline Film Festival.
The film was released in Argentine cinemas on 6 February 2020 by Cine Tren.
Cast: Juan Barberini, Ramón Pujol, Mía Maestro, Helen Celia Castro-Wood, Mariano López Seoane
Duration: 84 minutes.
Country: Argentina, US.
Production: Alsina 427, J W Productions.

© Derek Winnert 2025 – Classic Movie Review 13,403

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