Median Race (2011)

Directed by: Gustavo Taretto | 91 minutes | drama, comedy, romance | Actors: Pilar López de Ayala, Inés Efron, Carla Peterson, Rafael Ferro, Javier Drolas, Adrián Navarro, Romina Paula

‘Medianeras’ is based on the 2005 short film of the same name by the Argentine director Gustavo Taretto, who is also responsible for this full-length film from 2011. It is difficult to classify the film in one genre, but it is best to place ‘Medianeras’ with ‘romantic comedy’ but one with a new vision on this theme. The story takes place before the romance between Martin and Mariana can start.

‘Medianeras’ starts with a philosophical reflection on buildings in a city and how many similarities these buildings have with each other. You already understand, architecture is used in this film as a synonym for society. A nice approach that is especially powerful because of the beautiful images of buildings that you get to see. Fortunately, the film maker does not show the touristic pictures, but the atmosphere of a real city.

Although architecture plays a major role, ‘Medianeras’ is above all a search for love in a world characterized by isolation. People hardly come into contact with each other in a metropolis like Buenos Aires. This ensures that people lock themselves in solitude in their apartment, look for love on a virtual level and therefore find it increasingly difficult to discover the living city (which in turn can lead to anxiety disorders).

For example, it is interesting whether all telephone traffic does not actually contribute to the further isolation of city residents, while it is precisely intended to allow people to be close to each other. ‘Medianeras’ excels in these kinds of small reflections and raises simple questions that make you, as a viewer, keep thinking about it for a while.

Web designer Martín (Javier Drolas) and Mariana (Pilar López de Ayala), who is an architect but mainly designs shop windows, both live in a one-room apartment in Buenos Aires and very close to each other. Although their paths sometimes cross, they are unaware of each other and both live in solitude in search of love. But love is not so easy to find in this huge metropolis and in the end fate/a chance meeting must help a little to bring the two together.

Javier Drolas (who closely resembles the Belgian comedian Wim Helsen) and Pilar López de Ayala (‘The Bridge of San Luis Rey’) both put in a fine acting performance as wandering souls in the arms of the city. The cinematography in particular can make or break such a film as ‘Medianeras’: visually ‘Medianeras’ is certainly interesting with its many different buildings and nice cutscenes. The sometimes drawn style present here is at times reminiscent of ‘500 Days of Summer’.

Interesting as the premise and part of its elaboration may be, the real story of the two protagonists Martin and Mariana unfolds a little too slowly. Nevertheless, ‘Medianeras’ is an ode to breaking through isolation, true love and chance encounters.