Perfidia

Rodrigo Bellott really shows his talent as a filmmaker and artist in this film Perfidia ("Perfidy") of 2009. This is a decidedly cerebral film, an intellectual's delight and it's ideal for those who enjoy challenges trying to figure it all out. Many clues are subtle and the film may have to be watched more than once to catch many of them which hint at the mystery about what on earth is going on. Stunning ending too. Really brilliant! The plot lacked speed however: a great deal of time was spent in one spot, but after finding out more about the protagonist Gustavo, splendidly portrayed by Gonzalo Valenzuela, and what he might be up to, it makes sense that the drama did not stray far its location.

There are other characters in this dark story who play a vital role in the plot, but they are seemingly peripheral in the presentation; this is really an analysis of the psyche and heart of one individual, Gus. Ironically, even when it becomes clear that a crime is in the making, the director forces the watcher to see things from a criminal's vantage point, feel his pain, and desire a good resolution for him.

Valenzuela plays a hit man. At first I thought it was going to be a leftie Pinochet revenge movie (those politics are there in the back ground murdered parents etc..) when he flashed his Chilean ID...but his mark is his ex lover and his girlfriend. Or should I say the reverse....someone was paying him to kill his perfidious (Title) wife or girlfriend who just happened to be with the killers ex-lover. He killed his ex-lover for his own reasons.

The movie needed more hints as to what was going on.... a flashback something as it was only by reading another's review that I put it together.

It is a tad pseudo-intellectual (all South American movies are) with the poems by T.S. Elliot...at 12 years old I doubt I would have let my Dad read anything to me let alone classic poetry. Maybe comic books at 7. Instead of classical poems the writer should have concentrated on closing holes in the plot you could drive through. For instance the first place the police would look is at the other guests....did no one notice his changed appearance? Surveillance cameras are everywhere any more his changed appearance and passports wouldn't do so much good if homeland security had a good picture of him.

Also Valenzuela is not a consummate good actor and he has to carry this entire thing...the first 40 minutes show only him cutting his hair and nails..he doesn't quite have the talent to do it. Although I am not sure any actor could have with this script.

Different sound track nice... The semi drag dance with the gun with the silencer was not needed. It is gay baggage we don't need.

His boy friend was much handsomer would have made a better hit man at least he would be fun to look at cutting his nails for 30 minutes.

I grudgingly give it an 8 because it is exactly what I have been looking for gay movies that show interesting stories without all the baggage that just won't leave. You know the over sexed mother...all the humiliations and the gays always end up committing suicide or something. This is not quite what I had in mind but it is a good start.

If they had toned down the artsy nature of this one and made the plot followable by normal people, it could have been a big hit. They had at least a dozen indirect references to Pinochet (murdered his intellectual parents) including a picture. Why not some hints on the plot? Oh yes please axe the Ferris/Bueler/Drag Queen dance with the gun.

The cinematography was good with unexpected extreme close ups etc...

RECOMMEND

Oh my! Perfidy really does separate the men from the boys, so to speak. This is a brilliant - astonishingly brilliant - and beautifully poetic movie that clearly soars far above the heads of many if not most online reviewers. It is more like a poem than a conventional movie - a REAL poem, by Eliot or Yeats or a genius like that, not a gushing clown like Rod McKuen - with layers and nuances and revelations you can't begin to appreciate or even see the first time you watch it.

I have read Eliot's "Little Gidding" at least 500 times, and EVERY time I read it I see something new, something that answers a question I had but raises even more questions for exploration the next time I read it. That's exactly how this marvelous movie is.

The first time through, I wondered about far more than I understood, about what was going on and why. Afterwards, I understood a little bit, but not nearly enough, so I watched it again, looking particularly for answers to questions I picked up as I watched it the first time. I did find answers to some of them, but more new questions arose than I got answered. It's a deeply, richly rewarding type of entertainment that comes around once or twice in a lifetime, and NEVER from Hollywood.

People who love the immediate, unchallenging, spoon-fed gratification of Hollywood movies will HATE Perfidy; but people who love to be challenged, who love to look beyond what they see on screen for truth and meaning hidden within it - who love never getting to the end of the maze but relish exploring possible ways through it - will LOVE Perfidy and welcome it into their lives as an enduring source of delight and satisfaction for a long time to come. This movie is a real treasure, but only for those who want what it offers.

This film tries very hard to be "Avant Garde", but it falls short due to the very long and tedious sequences. The plot is interesting, but it take the director a very long time to give the audience a hint of what this film is all about. I would be surprised if 50% of the viewers make it half way through the film without turning it off or using the fast forward button.

I had to fast forward through a lot of scenes that just seemed to drag on forever, which ended up being a lot about nothing. The lead actor,Gonzalo Valenzuela, did an admirable job showcasing different sets of underwear. Other than that, the role wasn't very challenging and could have been cast by any novice actor with the same results.

This is a film that tries to be cerebral, but instead only succeeds in giving the viewer a bad migraine.

This movie is so introspective that it fails to convey its message in any of the torturous and drawn out sequences, or in the badly placed flashbacks. By the time that the director gets you to the hotel, you'll be craving any break in the monotony. However, the plodding pace continues with only hints as to were the plot might eventually take you. Don't expect the cinematography to give you something to occupy your time with. The shots are average at best with many amateur mistakes in exposure and framing. If you make it to the middle of the film, you'll be wondering why do is it necessary to watch nearly 5 minutes of nail care? There are surely others ways that the director could have moved along the meager story line that would have actually built some drama and interest. By the time that the climax comes in the film, we are too exhausted to care. The rest of the film goes down hill from there leaving you out in the cold with an ending that fails to reward the wearying journey that the director has taken you on.