First and foremost ‘End of the Century’ is a film about two people falling in love, perhaps twice or maybe more during the film.
We only meet three characters throughout and that’s all we need, others are spoken about and you almost know who they are despite only brief descriptions. Writer and director Lucio Castro take us on a surreal yet familiar dreamscape for the films near 90 minutes.
The opening scenes introduce us to Argentinian Ocho (Juan Barberini) who cuts a lonely figure wandering around Barcelona, he quickly stokes up an interest in local Javi (Ramon Pujol) who he sees wandering the streets and he then attempts to flirt with on the beach.
The pair soon hook up and before you know it they’re in bed (in between a few comical moments) sharing a few beers and chatting about favorite condoms. We’re then transported back 20 years and perhaps this wasn’t the first time the two have met after all?
We’re never quite sure what part of their lives we’re viewing but that only makes it the more interesting. It’s very much a film filled with ifs and buts and it’s perhaps for you to decide where you’d like it to take you? Also, if you’ve ever traveled alone and enjoyed what others may perceive as mundane (long camera shots on trees, buildings, and people-watching in strange places) then this is for you.
I left the cinema thinking what a fantastic film but knowing it’s not going to get the praise it deserves because it’s a Spanish spoken film about two gay guys. The film is a must-see and it made me play Flock of Seagulls as soon as I got home, I can’t think of any other film that could do that.
