Movie Review - The Strong Ones (Outfest 2020)

Omar Zúñiga Hidalgo contributed to a feature film before as director, but this film is essentially his feature debut. It is an adaptation of his award-winning short film San Cristóbal (2015), which actually won the Teddy Award. The initial description compares this feature though to Andrew Haigh's Weekend (2011) and Francis Lee's God's Own Country (2017), two highly regarded, British gay films. Hidalgo's film has the rural and rustic charm of Lee's film, a similar setting and circumstance, mixed with a bit of the star-crossed intensity of Haigh's film. The only real distinction is that this film is set in Latin America, specifically the nation of Chile. However, that distinction only matters in location and language, and not anything substantive. Hidalgo's film is just as modern as those English-speaking films where homophobia is less of an actual, physical problem, as it is more just a perceived problem. Yes, this film is about macho or masculine men who don't announce and sometimes actively hide their homosexuality, but that's not their principal problem. Their principal problem might instead be classism or personal socioeconomic choices or the classic conflict of city boys versus country boys.

The film does start with something interesting. We see men doing war reenactments. Groups of men dress up in military uniforms, presumably of the time in the early 19th century when Chile fought its war of independence. Those men then pretend to fight other groups of men, as a kind of play, for spectators or tourists. Not knowing too much about Chilean history, I was intrigued, but Hidalgo's film doesn't really go any where or any further with that concept or those reenactments. Aside from being the place where the two protagonists meet, the war reenactments don't factor into the plot. I don't even think it factors into the themes or metaphors much at all.

Antonio Altamirano stars as Antonio Galindo, one of the men who performs in the war reenactments. Again, not much is revealed about Antonio's involvement with these reenactments, besides the fact that he does them and seems to like historical places. His main job though is working as a fishermen. He regularly has to go out on a commercial fishing boat, cast out these large fishing nets and help bring back sardines or whatever aquatic life they catch. Other than that, he'll go to the local bar to have a beer and watch a football game with friends or co-workers. He obviously grew up in this fishing village. It's where his family still lives and he's very much a country boy.

Samuel González co-stars as Lucas, the veritable city boy who comes from Santiago, the capital and largest city in the country. Lucas visits the small, fishing village because his sister lives there with her husband. Lucas is on his way to Montréal, Canada, to study architecture. His visit is just a stop on his way up north. However, he clearly becomes smitten when he sees Antonio in the reenactment and then later starts to chat with him. It's not long after that they realize each other is gay and decide to engage in a romance.

Perhaps, even more than Weekend and God's Own Country, this film has even more sensuality and even more sexuality. Simply, there's a whole lot of rear nudity on display here, as Antonio and Lucas spend a lot of time together in a cabin becoming intimately aware of each other's bodies. One sex scene in particular goes on for an extended period of time, even depicting each men achieving climax. It's not too graphic, but it is very erotic.

Other than the prurient interest, this film taps into the age-old question of "Do I stay or do I go?" It taps into the dilemma of many people who have to decide how much they're willing to change their lives for someone they either potentially or truly love. In that, it reminded me of another film that played at Outfest, that of Mark Thiedeman's Last Summer (2014). Perhaps though, Hidalgo's film is another example of "It's better to have loved and lost..." Hidalgo's film is mostly just sweet and tender. Yes, it's accentuated with these buttons of masculinity and aggression going to head with this desire for intimacy and affection, but ultimately, it's another iteration of an affair between two men in this corner of the world whose flames only burn briefly.

Other examples that came to mind while watching this film, other examples from LGBTQ cinema in Latin Ameria, include José (2020), Sócrates (2019), Esteros (2016), In the Grayscale (2015) and Undertow (Contracorriente) (2010).

The Strong Ones (Los Fuertes)
Not Rated but contains nudity and sexual situations.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 38 mins.

Streaming on OutfestNow.