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The Speed of Jazz

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“The patient cannot remember the whole of what is repressed in him, and what he cannot remember may be precisely the essential part of it.

He is obliged to repeat the repressed material as a contemporary experience instead of remembering it as something in the past.”

Sigmund Freud, Beyond the Pleasure Principle, 1920

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alfredo barbini

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thoughts on los amantes astronautas/the lost astronauts

I watched this show with the worst subtitling known to mankind and it probably has impacted my initial impressions of the film. While self-consciously deemed a romantic comedy, I found the movie the least Berger-esque -- eschewing many of the hallmarks of his style.

-I find this the chattiest of Berger's films, with almost no time for quiet or longing. Most of Berger's old films are filled with lingering shots, suspending time on the erotic to allow viewers into the longing of the characters. This does not happen here, with the exception of an early scene in the film where Pedro imagines climbing into bed with Maxi. This is played off as a ridiculous fantasy, an unfortunate choice that reduces the erotic charge of the image to a rom-com trope.

-Pedro and Maxi are obviously good at bantering and the whole "astronaut" metaphor is a very Argentinian reference. According to one reviewer, it is slang for gay men. Pedro and Maxi's obtuse conversations about astronauts, space and the milky way, work in this cultural context. It was the least successful part of the film for me and proper subtitles will be needed to change my mind about this.

-Berger's shots of the viewfinder and childhood toys are important bookends to the film. They convey the intention to create playfulness and nostalgia, recalling the past where Pedro and Maxi were innocent and not shackled to adult notions of sexuality. It invites the two into a dreaming space, which the movie allows them to frankly discuss sex and sexuality.

-One review of the film said that the whole movie spends too much time on Maxi and Pedro. Honestly, I don't mind this because there's no real reason to invite in outside opinions, unless to affirm or spark action in the gay leads. The best scene of the film for me is when a female cousin of Pedro's takes pictures of Pedro and Maxi kissing for another relative who doesn't believe Maxi is dating a guy. It's pure fujoshi hilarity.

-Perhaps because this is a rom-com, this film lacks much of the casual nudity or crotch shots that I think are so quintessential to Berger's film vocabulary. It is a shame, because I think gay romance can be more than will-they-won't-they, especially with adult leads. That said, Berger is still one of the best queer film makers out there and I will keep watching whatever he makes.

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Marco Kesseler

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I like black statements.

s plath

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Will Matsuda — Aviary Gallery

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—Albert Camus