5/23/11

Every Song is About Me

"Todas las canciones hablan de mi" is a little hard on the main character, an aimless young man. He has drifted out of a six-year relationship and moved back home with his mother and grandmother; despite his university degree, he continues to work at his uncle's bookstore; he starts numerous projects but fails to complete any of them. I kept trying to find something about him to sympathize with or admire. He isn't mean, just aimless.

In this 2011 Seattle International Film Festival entry from Spain, I found the sound track to be jarring but could appreciate some universal truths:
  • Far too many people these days believe "it's all about me." Thus the title.
  • Young men get relationship advice from other (single) young men, just as they do in America.
  • College students tend to spout high-flying theories on a variety of topics.
  • Dance clubs with strobe lights and writhing bodies look the same, no matter where.
  • Quickie marriages to avoid deportation are common everywhere.
Oriol Vila, the nice-looking young man who plays the lead, is in another SIFF entry from Spain this year: He has a secondary (but pivotal) role in "Pájaros de papel" ("Paper Birds"), which I found far superior.