Esteros

By: Amos Lassen

Papu Curotto's "Esotros" explores a second chance at love. Childhood friends Matías and Jerónimo reunite in their hometown of Paso de los Libres, Argentina, on the banks of the Uruguay River. The summer before high school, the teens' deep friendship was transformed into something deeper, but their mutual attraction never came to fruition. Now more than a decade later they meet again, and the chemistry between them is palpable. However, now Matías has a girlfriend who has traveled to his hometown for Carnival. Seeing his old friend, now so comfortable and confident in his skin, reawakens Matías' feelings. This unexpected opportunity Matías to rethink his choices and to figure out whether he can turn his back on marriage to a woman in favor of the man he's always loved. This is a powerful film that elicits feelings of nostalgia for adolescence and for the long-forgotten romances of our past as it gives a satisfying glimpse into what might have been (and what might still be).