Gasolina (2007)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Julio Hernandez Cordon

Writers:

Julio Cordon Hernandez (writer)
Julio Hernandez Cordon (writer)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Three middle-class teenagers out on a high-octane ride to hell outside the safety of their "colonia"

Plot:

Three middle-class teenagers out on a high-octane ride to hell outside the safety of their "colonia". |

Awards:

4 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Jose Andres Chamier
Carlos Dardon
Francisco Jacome

Also Known As:

Gasoline (Europe: English title) (festival title)

Runtime:

Argentina:71 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente) | Czech Republic:71 min (Febio Film Festival)

Country:

Guatemala | USA | Spain

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13

Company:

Buena Onda Pictures

A lot of potential

First of all i have to say i'm from the same country as actors, writer, director so i'm very familiar with the kind of language they use, about this i have to say is a 10 because it achieves immersing the audience into the film.

Before start in my opinion the genre of the film is experimental/drama (i couldn't add experimental) the director uses non-actors (real life teens) for all roles (i can't say for sure in all but most of them), so taking this in account directing have been hard work and you can see it in the result with scenes very good directed and other scenes where actors didn't transmit any sense to the audience, didn't speak clearly, so acting in general it's not brilliant but i had never been planed to be.

Photography, well, almost the entire movie was done at night outdoors, so even for a Hollywood movie this is a challenge, generally dark scenes with no enough light were an obstacle to appreciate details but it achieves creating a particular and original environment that i have perceived as the representation of the trouble and misdirected life of the main characters.

The plot was generally pointless in many details but that's a real case for 3 teens that only want to avoid real life, the main flaw from my point of view is that past mid part something happens that resumes the way how this teens see life and this shocks the audience very hard, but sadly was unused in later scenes to the end, i feel like this wasn't the initial intention, the film from this step could take off to a piece of art who could had dived deep into teens mind carrying the audience with it.

In general i think this was a very ambitious project (the non-actors used, the almost dark environment used, the language used that converts it in a unique film) that has failed from the original idea (it's my personal opinion), i'll wait eager to next projects of this young director hoping he'll found more funding to his projects.

By the way, if you want to explore real adolescents of Guatemala you have to watch this film, you will not going to find anything like this.