Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Latest
    • 3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)
    • 3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)
    • 3625. Ode To Joy (2019)
    • 3624. One Chance (2013)
    • 3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)
    • 3622. The Polka King (2017)
    • 3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)
    • 3620. Friendzone (2021)
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Home
    • Blog
      • All Posts
      • Best Of The Year
        • Best Of 2015
        • Best Of 2016
        • Best Of 2017
        • Best Of 2018
        • Best Of 2019
        • Best Of 2020
        • Best Of 2021
        • Best Of 2022
      • The Decade In Review
      • Box Office Analysis
      • James Bond
      • Oscars
      • RANKED
      • Star Wars
      • The Big Questions
      • Top 10
      • World Cinema
    • Ratings
      • Top 250
      • Top 100 Foreign Films
      • Bottom 50
      • 0 – 1.9
      • 2 – 3.9
      • 4 – 5.9
      • 6 – 7.9
      • 8 – 10
    • Genres
      • Action
      • Anthology
      • Animation
      • Christmas
      • Comedy
      • Crime
      • Documentary
      • Drama
      • Fantasy
      • Film-Noir
      • History
      • Horror
      • Kids’
      • Musical
      • Psychological
      • Romance
      • Sci-Fi
      • Short
      • Silent
      • Sport
      • Superhero
      • Survival
      • Thriller
      • Western
    • Release Year
      • 2020s
      • 2010s
      • 2000s
      • 1990s
      • 1980s
      • 1970s
      • 1960s
      • 1950s
      • 1940s
      • 1930s
      • 1920s
    • Country
      • Afghanistan
      • Argentina
      • Australia
      • Austria
      • Belgium
      • Brazil
      • Cambodia
      • Canada
      • Chile
      • China
      • Colombia
      • Costa Rica
      • Czechoslovakia
      • Czech Republic
      • Denmark
      • East Timor
      • Faroe Islands
      • Finland
      • France
      • Germany
      • Georgia
      • Greece
      • Hong Kong
      • Hungary
      • Iceland
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Iran
      • Iraq
      • Ireland
      • Israel
      • Italy
      • Japan
      • Latvia
      • Lebanon
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Mexico
      • New Zealand
      • Nigeria
      • North Korea
      • Norway
      • Paraguay
      • Peru
      • Philippines
      • Poland
      • Romania
      • Russia
      • Saudi Arabia
      • Singapore
      • South Korea
      • South Africa
      • Soviet Union
      • Spain
      • Sweden
      • Switzerland
      • Syria
      • Taiwan
      • Thailand
      • Turkey
      • Uganda
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
      • Uruguay
      • Vietnam
      • Zambia
    • About
    The Mad Movie Man
    You are at:Home»Review»2369. Undertow (2009)

    2369. Undertow (2009)

    0
    By The Mad Movie Man on December 2, 2018 2009, 6 - 7.9, 90-99 mins, Dec 18, Drama, Movies Of 2018, Peru, Review, Romance
    7.0 Very elegant, albeit a little dull
    • Acting 6.9
    • Directing 7.7
    • Story 6.5
    • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0

    Starring: Cristian Mercado, Manolo Cardona, Tatiana Astengo

    Director: Javier Fuentes-León

    Running Time: 97 mins


    Undertow (Contracorriente) is a Peruvian film about a married man who struggles as his affection for his secret male lover burns strong, while his small seaside town’s rigid traditions and prying eyes mean that their relationship can never be revealed.

    An elegant and rather abstract romantic drama, Undertow proves a striking watch throughout, as it tackles the difficult topic of the impact of social norms on individuals, all with a certain cinematic majesty throughout. With that said, however, it’s far from the world’s most emotionally stunning piece, while it is a patient and often somewhat moving watch, it doesn’t quite have the depth of drama to really grab you beyond its overall atmosphere.

    Let’s start off with the positives, however, with the fact that Undertow is without a doubt one of the most elegant movies you’ll have seen in a long time. It’s a quiet piece set in a tiny seaside settlement on the Peruvian coast, but in the absence of the bustling and intense nature of many Hollywood romantic dramas, there’s a very striking atmosphere of emptiness that lends the film a stunning vibe throughout.

    Although not as low on dialogue as you might expect, the immense scope of the film’s setting often takes precedence in most scenes, and in particular when we see Miguel and his lover, Santiago, conversing in secret on the beach looking out to sea, the majesty of the scenery really takes over the emotional and dramatic tone of the film, something that I was really impressed by.

    Furthermore, that rather abstract tone plays in very well to the story at hand, and while I don’t wish to give any spoilers away about the content of the plot, the way the film ends up playing out like some sort of elegant dream is what helps its story to work so well in context.

    However, while the film is a striking and powerfully atmospheric watch throughout, I can’t really escape the fact that it’s also a generally less-than-enthralling film. It’s a strange thing to say, and while the film’s visuals and atmosphere do command your attention very well at times, the story itself just doesn’t have enough depth to really grab you.

    Its subject matter is interesting initially, watching how a married man is torn between his devotion to his forbidden love and retaining face in his local community, however I felt that the story didn’t really develop enough beyond that simple premise, and as such, it gradually falls apart when it becomes apparent that there isn’t anything more to the core relationship at hand.

    If you were a fan of Luca Guadagnino’s Call Me By Your Name, then Undertow is likely to be another favourite of yours, with a similar subject matter and a similarly elegant atmosphere. However, for me, I felt that despite its cinematic successes, Undertow didn’t have enough depth of emotion and drama to really keep me engrossed throughout, and that’s why I’m giving it a 7.0 overall.

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    The Mad Movie Man
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    The Mad Movie Man, AKA Anthony Cullen, writes articles and reviews about movies and the world of cinema. Since January 1st, 2013, he has watched and reviewed a movie every day. This is the blog dedicated to the project: www.madmovieman.com

    Related Posts

    7.1

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    Follow Me Online!
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Tumblr
    New Releases
    5.3
    January 17, 2022

    3620. Friendzone (2021)

    7.1
    January 10, 2022

    3612. The Lost Daughter (2021)

    8.0
    January 7, 2022

    3609. Licorice Pizza (2021)

    7.2
    January 7, 2022

    3608. Lamb (2021)

    7.4
    December 30, 2021

    3599. The King’s Man (2021)

    6.3
    December 29, 2021

    3598. The Matrix Resurrections (2021)

    8.4
    December 28, 2021

    3597. West Side Story (2021)

    6.3
    December 27, 2021

    3596. Gunpowder Milkshake (2021)

    Recommended Movies
    8.3
    Review
    July 17, 20150

    1027. Million Dollar Baby (2004)

    8.6
    Review
    April 5, 20130

    111. The Hunger Games (2012)

    8.1
    Review
    November 21, 20190

    2758. Jojo Rabbit (2019)

    8.9
    Review
    November 13, 20210

    3546. I Heart Huckabees (2004)

    8.4
    Review
    March 6, 20170

    1683. The Russians Are Coming! The Russians Are Coming! (1966)

    Popular Posts
    7.1
    January 24, 2022

    3627. I Believe In Miracles (2015)

    5.8
    January 23, 2022

    3626. The Man With One Red Shoe (1985)

    7.9
    January 22, 2022

    3625. Ode To Joy (2019)

    7.4
    January 21, 2022

    3624. One Chance (2013)

    6.3
    January 20, 2022

    3623. Falling For Figaro (2020)

    7.5
    January 19, 2022

    3622. The Polka King (2017)

    6.0
    January 18, 2022

    3621. Spies In Disguise (2019)

    © 2022 ThemeSphere. Designed by ThemeSphere.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.