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Genre:
Comedy/Musical
Director: Ramón Salazar
Starring: Mónica Cervera, Pablo Puyol,
Miguel O'Dogherty, Concha Galán, Macarena Gómez
RunTime: 1 hr 54 mins
Released By: Cathay-Keris Films
Rating: R21 (Mature Content)
Official Website: http://www.20centimeters.com/index.html
Opening Day: 12 April 2007
Synopsis:
20 Centimetres, tells the story of Marieta, a transsexual
who would love to get rid of the 20 centimetres that separate
her from being the glamorous woman she dreams of when she
falls into narcoleptic crises. In her colourful dreams, she
sees herself as the center of different surprising and lavish
musical numbers, such as Madonna’s “True Blue”
or Queen’s “I Want to Break Free”.
Movie
Review:
The structural framework of the decidedly bittersweet “20
centimetres” and its embellished story form takes a
slight tumble in lieu of writer-director Ramón Salazar’s
audacious dreamscape each time Marieta (Monica Cervera), his
narcoleptic transvestite prostitute rescinds into a reverie
of lavish proportions. Even as subplots are left in the backburner
and secondary characters fail to flesh out, there is still
a distinct sense that its oddly themed musical numbers is
the film’s real headliner, with Cervera’s ballsy
performance running a close second.
Brazenly
referential, it cheekily cribs off Bollywood, old-school Broadway
musical extravaganzas and 80s pop chic, which for the best
part of Marieta’s expressive subconscious actually turns
out rather fabulous. Then there’s even Salazar’s
particularly bold self-reflexive flamboyancy that winks to
the inevitable comparisons to his thematic cousin in Almodóvar.
The energy that these musical numbers bring to the film contrasts
the fairly sombre narrative that threatens to bring Marieta’s
colourful proceedings crashing right down to earth. Morose
enough for us to question whether her eventful, show-stopping
scenes are a regressive retreat into fantastical stardom or
just merely flights of fancy that occurs each time her narcolepsy
acts up, which really should not be played up for tepid laughs
considering what she does for a living.
Life
altering decisions abound for the high-strung Marieta as she
unexpectedly meets hunky grocer, Raul (Pablo Puyol) who finds
both Marieta and her 20 centimeters of dangling flesh ravishing.
The nascent romance poses a problem for Marieta’s hopes
for the gender reassignment surgery. If the subplots revolving
around Marieta were a juggling act, then the transsexual angst
brought to the fore by Raul’s sudden appearance is its
most slippery club. It becomes an awkward two-headed hybrid
structure when it starts to raise questions about sexuality
atop of sensuality that tonally fails to complement the kitschy
tunes that veer in and out of the story.
Salazar
admirably does not involve himself too much in the social
conditions that the conventionally sincere Marieta and her
motley crew of neighbours reside in. Every one of Marieta’s
acquaintances and friends are characters in the truest sense
of the word. Minorities on the wayside and freaks to all but
themselves, Salazar lovingly observes them through heavily
tinted lenses. He makes the dysfunction, function through
them with ease, each with a backstory if explored, would be
undoubtedly as interesting as his Marieta’s is. But
if anything, Salazar’s supreme accomplishment would
be cementing Cervera as the star of his production.
Movie
Rating:
 
(A fearless leading performance fronts a tragicomedy with
an assortment of fun musical numbers)
Review
by Justin Deimen
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