Director Adolfo Arrietta (whose name appears differently in each film he makes) describes the film as a musical comedy... "or maybe a fairytale". It is easy to see why he uses this description. There is very little plot and the setting serves for a series of character studies, which feel almost like songs. One can imagine this film being very effectively staged with an original score, in fact, but I'm getting ahead of myself.
Tam Tam (or Tom Tom) is entirely set in the house of transvestite and artist/ performer Cynthia- a rather horrifying character with few likable traits. Cynthia is throwing a party for the author Pedro, who has written a book called Tom Tom, which seems to feature many fantastical elements including love potions and tom tom drums being capable of bringing about a cataclysm. The author never arrives, supplying a series of rather flimsy excuses, but his "identical twin brother" is present already.
The house is populated by likable eccentrics: an ageing actress, several young artists and many trans women and transvestites. All eagerly await the arrival of the belated Pedro, tensions arising due to his absence. All of the characters have seemingly known each other in some way outside of this environment, sometimes in very destructive ways, but are trying to put on a brave face for when the famous author arrives. Of course, their character trajectories are set to meet at several times, often with highly amusing, though sometimes heartbreaking consequences.
There are times when the characters suspect the superstitions in the book may be manifesting themselves- the sound of Tom Toms incessantly interrupts the soundtrack, often before some moment of tension or a character having some kind of emotional meltdown. Is this indicative of a wider cataclysm beyond the house? Who knows. Cynthia also seeks a love potion mentioned in the book, seemingly convinced that she cannot find true love without it, adding a more human and tragic dimension to this difficult character. Occasionally we see some rather frightening masks, which are described in the book. These seem to cause unrest in the room, but are they present, or figments of the characters' imagination?
Most characters seem doomed to experience some disappointment in the course of the evening, not least by a guest of honour failing to materialise. In the end, it seems unclear if the identical twin of the author might in fact be the author (a playful trick by Arrietta given characters are constantly remarking on their similarities) played by Xavier Grandes, who appears in all of the director's films. In any case, we seem to be left, in an almost Beckett- like sense, with a highly entertaining film without a plot about people simply waiting. The caricatures are softened by Arrietta's sensitive directorial touch- he seems to be very good at surrounding unlikeable/ ambivalent main characters with immensely likable secondary characters- and presents his character study with charm and wit.
The question remains- as in all of the director's work- to what extent is the film fantasy or reality. Some viewers may also quibble with the visual aspects of this film, made essentially on amateur equipment, but with a professional's eye. The wonderful thing about Arrietta is that he uniquely transcends the boundaries between amateur and professional and reality and fantasy. The effect may leave one scratching one's head, but, usually entertained and amused. Jean Cocteau once quipped that "Film will only be an art form when it becomes as easy to make a film as it is to pick up a pen". If this is the case, then Arrietta is the definition of Cocteau's film artist.
Tam Tam (or Tom Tom) is entirely set in the house of transvestite and artist/ performer Cynthia- a rather horrifying character with few likable traits. Cynthia is throwing a party for the author Pedro, who has written a book called Tom Tom, which seems to feature many fantastical elements including love potions and tom tom drums being capable of bringing about a cataclysm. The author never arrives, supplying a series of rather flimsy excuses, but his "identical twin brother" is present already.
The house is populated by likable eccentrics: an ageing actress, several young artists and many trans women and transvestites. All eagerly await the arrival of the belated Pedro, tensions arising due to his absence. All of the characters have seemingly known each other in some way outside of this environment, sometimes in very destructive ways, but are trying to put on a brave face for when the famous author arrives. Of course, their character trajectories are set to meet at several times, often with highly amusing, though sometimes heartbreaking consequences.
There are times when the characters suspect the superstitions in the book may be manifesting themselves- the sound of Tom Toms incessantly interrupts the soundtrack, often before some moment of tension or a character having some kind of emotional meltdown. Is this indicative of a wider cataclysm beyond the house? Who knows. Cynthia also seeks a love potion mentioned in the book, seemingly convinced that she cannot find true love without it, adding a more human and tragic dimension to this difficult character. Occasionally we see some rather frightening masks, which are described in the book. These seem to cause unrest in the room, but are they present, or figments of the characters' imagination?
Most characters seem doomed to experience some disappointment in the course of the evening, not least by a guest of honour failing to materialise. In the end, it seems unclear if the identical twin of the author might in fact be the author (a playful trick by Arrietta given characters are constantly remarking on their similarities) played by Xavier Grandes, who appears in all of the director's films. In any case, we seem to be left, in an almost Beckett- like sense, with a highly entertaining film without a plot about people simply waiting. The caricatures are softened by Arrietta's sensitive directorial touch- he seems to be very good at surrounding unlikeable/ ambivalent main characters with immensely likable secondary characters- and presents his character study with charm and wit.
The question remains- as in all of the director's work- to what extent is the film fantasy or reality. Some viewers may also quibble with the visual aspects of this film, made essentially on amateur equipment, but with a professional's eye. The wonderful thing about Arrietta is that he uniquely transcends the boundaries between amateur and professional and reality and fantasy. The effect may leave one scratching one's head, but, usually entertained and amused. Jean Cocteau once quipped that "Film will only be an art form when it becomes as easy to make a film as it is to pick up a pen". If this is the case, then Arrietta is the definition of Cocteau's film artist.
