Vagón fumador (2001)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

Verónica Chen

Writer:

Verónica Chen (writer)

Release Date:

13 June 2002 (Argentina)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

A suicidal woman and a male prostitute connect in an ATM station and begin a tenuous affair. |

Plot Keywords:

Suicidal | Male Prostitute | Aspiring Singer | Arcade | Sex In Public

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Cecilia Bengolea	...	Reni
Leonardo Brzezicki	...	Andrés
Adrián Fondari	...	Hotel Client
Pablo Razuk	...	Band Manager / Banelco Client
Fabián Talín	...	Car Client
Carlos Issa	...	Charly
Fernando Moumdjian	...	El Armenio
Juan Martín Gravina	...	Juanma
Pablo Sirianni	...	Band Singer
Cristian Dos Santos	...	Band Bassist
Violeta Uman	...	Band DJ
Ezequial López
Adrián Blanco	...	Male Stripper

Also Known As:

Smokers Only (USA)

MPAA:

Rated R for strong sexuality, nudity and some language.

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

Argentina

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Black and White | Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:16 | USA:R | Italy:VM14

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Company:

Ezeiza Films

Quotes:

[asking about turning tricks... ]
Reni: You like it don't you? You enjoy it?
Andrés: What? This? Yes, I really do.I love it. Totally. Especially when I get paid. It's something I can't describe.
Andrés: Everything's got a price. Pizza... Seven bucks. Beer... Three. Rollerblades... Ninety and Andrés a hundred and fifty.
Andrés: If you don't have a price you have nothing to offer. No Value. You're worth nothing. And I love being paid. Being appreciated, Being enjoyed.

Ho Hum

This Argentinian take on ennui among youth in the large city treads familiar territory. An urban semi-hipster sings in a band, but clearly isn't very motivated to practice or pick up on her bandmates vibes. She comes across two boys having sex in the ATM foyer, waits for them to finish & then goes in to take out money from her account. She is then accosted by the street hustler who seems to reside in foyer, waiting for opportunities to score cash the way he knows best.

The two are filmed on the bank's video camera & the dialogue in this early scene is clearly voiced-over. In this debut, Veronica Chen also uses some other interesting film techniques, including using grainy images, which break up and blend together, giving the viewer the feel of the pacing and mish-mash that makes up a city. However, despite the novelty of these devices, the film just doesn't hold up. So instead of seeming like listless Gen-Xers, the actors seem just even lazier at their trade than the characters they are representing. The end result makes the film looks more like the aftermath of a Diesel jeans photo shoot than a slice-of-life glimpse into the world of street kids. The music that is used (to excess) in the film is just as random as the filming tricks and begins to tire the viewer a good third into the movie.

If you want to see better examples of the problems of street hustlers, check out "Midnight Cowboy" or "My Own Private Idaho". If you want to see a much better representation of the difficulties facing modern urban lovers see "Happy Together." Or, if you'd like to see some good films from Argentina check out "Nine Queens" or "Burnt Money" but save your money on this one.