The film endeavors to be endearing, and it is only fair to acknowledge that it succeeds in this regard. It is, indeed, a charming film. The protagonist possesses sufficient charisma to engage the audience, fostering a sense of attachment. However, if this was the film's primary ambition, it is a rather modest one.
Ultimately, the film emerges as another project that prompts discussions about its unrealized potential. The principal flaw, in my opinion, lies within the script. Crafting dialogues for a specific group, complete with their unique slang, catchphrases, syntactic structures, and onomatopoeia, is a formidable task. However, the script's shortcomings are not confined to this aspect alone. The dialogues lack depth and are superficial, failing to provide any meaningful insight into the characters. The supporting characters serve merely as ornamental props, and even the protagonist is portrayed as shallow and unremarkable. The narrative, in the end, is more trivial than endearing. While the film does identify intriguing dilemmas faced by a white gay man in São Paulo, it addresses them in such a sterile, artificial, and uninspiring manner that it seems like an antiseptic portrayal of a complex reality.
Possibly due to the script, the performances at times appear awkward. Certain dialogues between the trio of friends become cringe-inducing due to the weak writing. The attempt to represent a specific group of young people from São Paulo ends up feeling like a caricature verging on the comedic. We learn very little about any of the characters, other than their professions in cinema and their habit of drinking coffee. Their primary dilemma is their struggle with relationships-a rather universal issue.
Furthermore, it is almost imperative for any film set in São Paulo to exhibit visual beauty, necessitating proficient cinematography. However, this film manages to be aesthetically displeasing in both its photography and art direction. With few exceptions, the film fails to capture the city's visual allure, which, in my opinion, is yet another flaw attributable to the script. The city's chaos is dialectically intertwined with each character's inner turmoil. Daily routines such as cohabitation, waking early, visiting cafes, shopping at markets, attending the cinema, and returning from trips-all these events occur within a space-time framework that is not integrated into the story. When time is incorporated, it is through an unsuccessful attempt to explore various possible realities.
In conclusion, I finished watching the film without understanding what the "13 feelings" refer to.
