The Burning [Ardor] *** (2014, Gael García Bernal, Alice Braga, Chico Díaz) – Movie Review

Gael García Bernal stars as Kai, a mysterious tattooed stranger who emerges from the Argentinian rainforest to rescue farm girl Vania (Alice Braga), the kidnapped daughter of a poor farmer, after mercenaries murder her father and take over his property.

The duo flee into the forest, falling instantly for each other, and Bernal kits himself up for taking the invaders down.

Argentine writer-director Pablo Fendrik’s movie is a new age spaghetti Western as The Man with No Name meets Predator. Bernal is an excellent, appealing actor, but it’s a bit of a stretch for him to be this Clint-Arnie-style macho man, and he’s is no fit as Tarzan either with his stripped-off jungle action and love-making. If the hero looks lightweight, so do the villains, who need to look a whole lot bigger, tougher and nastier. But then, again, this is a new age Western.

Some of it is quite exciting, particularly the extended climax, the jungle scenery is glorious, the cast work hard and very effectively within their limitations, the no-messing plot is spare and directly aimed, and the handling is tense and brisk. So all that’s good.

Whether the movie into art movie with slo-mo images and all the stuff involving Bernal’s inner jaguar (the animal not the car) are a good idea is up for debate. They add a level, and a seriousness, which is usually good, but here simpler, more straightforward would probably be better.

But everybody gets lots of marks for effort and quite a few for achievement.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Movie Review

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