Whiskey (2004)

Directed by: Juan Pablo Rebella, Pablo Stoll | 99 minutes | drama, comedy | Actors: Andrés Pazos, Mirella Pascual, Jorge Bolani, Ana Katz, Daniel Hendler, Verónica Perrotta, Mariana Velazques, Dumas Leera, Damián Barrera, Alfonso Tort, Francisca Barreira

In fact, everything in ‘Whisky’ radiates faded glory. Two people so stuck in their daily routine that it is (literally) difficult to distinguish one moment from the next (even for the viewer), an old-fashioned filthy factory, a once luxurious hotel, an apartment in a state of disrepair, a car that won’t start.

Set against this background is the story of Jacobo, a grumpy old man who spends his days in the sock factory that his family has had for years. Jacobo is single, but when his long-lost brother comes to visit, he decides to ask one of his employees (Marta) to play his wife for a few days, so as not to look too bad. Marta in turn is an introverted shy woman who exudes little zest for life, just like Jacobo.

It’s hard to imagine, but what sounds like a tragic drama unfolds during the film into a comedy that is as touching as it is hilarious, without losing the sad undertone. The film is somewhere between ‘The Straight Story’ (1999) and ‘Sideways’ (2004). Quieter than ‘Sideways’ and more humorous than ‘The Straight Story’.

The Uruguayan directorial duo Juan Pablo Rebella and his partner Pablo Stoll, who were previously awarded a Tiger Award at the Rotterdam Film Festival for their film ’25 Watts’ (2001), opted for a minimal amount of text this time. Every word seems carefully chosen and every silence even more so. In addition, with creative shots they manage to give an extra dimension to the already characteristic heads of the actors. These are excellently cast and play their roles superbly with the ending scene where the title is explained: where Americans say “Say cheese!” would yell, in Uruguay they yell “Whiskey!”. This is also the case when the two loners decide to have themselves captured in a so-called wedding portrait. It shows how ambiguous and subtle the film is, because the scene is both the saddest and the funniest part of the film.

‘Whiskey’ is a deafeningly subtle film, which has a good balance between beauty and humour. He was showered with awards all over the world, proving Rebella and Stoll that they belong to the international top in the field of independent films. All in all, well worth a look.