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★★½☆☆
7 August 2018
A movie review of THE HEIRESSES. |
“Imagine having a crash. I get out and you go in,” Chiquita (Margarita Irún)
Do you want to spend time observing the life of the lead? The ultimate necessity for a film. The answer here is no. Chela (Ana Brun) is even more of a blank canvas than Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker. There is so little for the audience to grip on to. We should care about her conundrums. The mind wanders to fill in the gaping holes of characterisation. One does not want to be spoonfed, but there must be a personality to build our theories on. At least THE HEIRESSES is not as bad as COME RAIN, COME SHINE (2011).
Do you want to spend time observing the life of the lead? The ultimate necessity for a film. The answer here is no. Chela (Ana Brun) is even more of a blank canvas than Harry Potter and Luke Skywalker. There is so little for the audience to grip on to. We should care about her conundrums. The mind wanders to fill in the gaping holes of characterisation. One does not want to be spoonfed, but there must be a personality to build our theories on. At least THE HEIRESSES is not as bad as COME RAIN, COME SHINE (2011).
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Paraguayan couple Chela and Chiquita have been together for 30 years. One can only guess at the volume of discrimination they likely faced. Having fallen on hard times, they are forced to sell off their possessions. From wealthy families, they are the heiresses of the title. Should the audience care about the financial predicament of those who have not earned their wealth? Ethical capitalism needs to tax heavily unearned wealth, such as inheritance and capital gains, so that society can operate more fairly. If the duo were self-made, or born into poverty, and in dire financial straits, sympathy would be far greater. Is writer-director Marcelo Martinessi trying to make some point, or is he out of touch?
Compounding Chela’s woes, Chiquita is in jail on fraud charges. No one in their circle seems to be questioning the latter’s guilt. We are not told the specifics of the crime. Were the victims of equal financial standing, or were they vulnerable members of the community? A viewer can understand desperation leading to crime, though empathy dwindles if the perpetrators pick off the vulnerable.
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Chiquita is the dominant partner in the relationship. Prison is not a scary place for her. She asserts herself quickly. Chela comes across as a kept woman, left out of the loop of Chiquita’s dealings. With her woman behind bars, THE HEIRESSES focuses on Chela slowly galvanising into action – showing it is never too late. The lead is being buffeted by winds beyond her abilities to stymie. Chela was not in control of her own destiny. Surely everyone has felt those frustrations? Directors Stanley Kubrick and David Fincher have made careers of exploring overwhelming forces.
Chela gets a modest job and finds a potential paramour in a younger woman, Angy (Ana Ivanova). THE HEIRESSES touches on class, gender, sexual orientation, and age, though the themes are too cursorily explored. Chela is too blank, in sharp contrast to those around her. Kernels of interest are not exploited. The rhythms of life here are repeated so often that it undermines observations. The film inefficiently utilises its runtime.
