I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

hyped garbage

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Infatuation and lust may have bad consequences, particularly if involving an adult and a minor, and it certainly involves misapprehensions and rumors, particularly if involving teacher-student of the same sex. Thus, a good basis for an intriguing film for relatively wide audience? But, alas, the result is a protracted depiction of facial expressions and trivial dialogues, with the main topic in the background, and otherwise spirited Latin Americans behave as those from the Nordic countries... The plot remains indistinct; I usually like to ponder on and over during or after a film, but here, it was no mind-twisting at all. Leaving things open and not explaining things are two different approaches for me.Ausente could be a play for small niche theatres, but a film for a big festival? I was surprised when I read that the film won "Best feature film" during Berlin International Film Festival.

I have just finished watching Marco Berger's "Ausente", and in spite of the Teddy award it won at the Berlin International Film Festival as Best Film with LGBT topic, I confess that all the enthusiasm that I felt when I saw "Plan B" vanished. All the freshness and sensuality of Berger's first motion picture, with actors who seemed to be improvising scenes and lines (or maybe they were really doing it) to give us a sincere reflection on how to reach honest acceptance of our homo-erotic feelings, was here replaced by a flow of contrived, too coldly calculated movements, to create a melodrama (not in the best tango tradition, but more in a soapy middle class mold) which is often more corny than moving. The story of a professor's harassment by his adolescent student, who is trying to seduce his teacher with lies, is slowly displaced by a subplot that pays too much attention to public opinion, prejudice, fear and slander, that is probably more in the mind of the instructor, who in the end is not as transparent as he had thought. Although Berger still favors setting up his camera at the level of men's crotches in underwear while lying in bed, this time those shots seem tamed as he was too much assimilated (perhaps far too much) by the discreet charm of the Argentinean film industry and its frequent pomp (careful, I do not mean the other Argentinean cinema, so independent and liberating- and without Ricardo Darín in the leading role, of course!), with sugary music that even includes a little female voice doing "Aaahhh's" Both Carlos Echevarría as the professor and Javier de Pietro as the student are good, given the material they had to work with.

I don't know what's worst: the casting, the acting or the pointless story.I have watched Marco Berger's Hawaii, his two short stories and Plan B. In that order, so I have watched enough to know that in his works there are always obligatory shots of men's crutches and long quiet scenes...it works in everyone but "The clock" (his first work). So I knew this one was going to have that but I was not expecting terrible actors with no chemistry whatsoever and that includes the secondary actors (terrible teachers) and the insufferable girlfriend. Am I suppose to think the couple love each other? There is no real connection between the actors. And don't get me start about Martin. Am I suppose to root for this lying manipulative tool? Because I don't care about him and his terrible lessons about butterflies (that was painful to watch). I guess the moral of the story is indulge yourself and give the teenage psycho what he wants instead of acting like an adult...what was Sebastian supposed to be sorry for? The only stupid thing he did was being stupid enough not to see that kid was (poorly) lying all along.

.....Latest Work by Director Marco Berger is so very much the opposite (well, perhaps there's a "tinge" of romantic love). Instead, we're being given: A Crush-love...almost a Stalkerish-love.In a comparison of the two movies, "Absent" is the more accomplished production....both in camera work and locations-wise. And as in the earlier film, here the Co-leads and supporting actors also cannot be faulted. Javier De Pietro, as Gay-aware, swim team student Martin Blanco, delivers an admirable first film performance as a mid-teens young man, who is "crushing" on his team coach. Martin has a "Plan" (but...unlike in Director Berger's preceding film, no alternative, Plan B has even been thought of). Single-minded and intensely focused, our Martin has set his sights on placing himself in his team coach's very own bed. Next up, as our unsuspecting object of affection (I mean, obsession), we have the attractive, student-oriented Coach Sebastian Armas (Carlos Echevarria, an experienced actor of some 12 films). This film star ably paints a picture for us of a serious and never smiling, heterosexual(?) man, who is much concerned for those under his charge.....and possessing no(?) interest in the Gay lifestyle.GENERAL OBSERVATIONS:The opening-credits camera shots, and especially the soundtrack, seem meant to be ominous in nature and apparently have been structured to forewarn where this film is heading. They consist of lingering, closeup angles of young Martin's striking and sexily hairy body. All this in the guise of a sports program physical exam (oh, of course). Continuing this fascination with Martin's body....later on, after our young trainee has manipulated his way into his coach's home, various intentionally provocative poses of Martin, in near undress, are provided by our Director....culminating in an early morning, "touchy-feely" visit to Sebastian's bed, as he lies sleeping.We are given long, sometimes static, film minutes (more than one-tenth film's running time) spent in an automobile front seat. Our Co-leads driving from place to place, as required by the storyline. These are uncomfortable (yet probably realistic) times spent together...with little dialog. Similarly, there are MANY other coach/trainee interactions where one might expect easy chatter/conversation. BUT such does not occur...and that is not what I would expect to happen between a dedicated coach and those he is mentoring (perhaps such is not the case in countries outside the U.S.).Young Martin appears not to interact with swimteam mates in a normal, youthful, fun manner...and is shown to roam pool changing rooms, in the hopes of seeing other young men in stages of undress.After unsuccessful attempts to get closer to Sebastian during that night spent at the Coach's home, and perhaps ashamed of his actions, Martin quickly owns up. He does so in a note left for Sebastian, reading that he had contrived the overnight stay (BUT he does not specifically spell out what his aim had been). From that point on, Martin begins distancing himself, even missing training sessions. Then occurs an uncomfortable scene in which Coach and his girlfriend (yes, he has one) take seats in a cinema, unaware that Martin and a young female acquaintance are already seated there. One seat separating the 2 men, (as the Director has planned for), we suspensefully wait for awareness of each other to hit the fan.Somewhat later, their relationship climaxes (yes, I use that word) in a face to face confrontation: Martin openly admits to his plan for a "hoped-for seduction". ....And Sebastian, realizing the untenable position in which he had been placed, directs a blow to Martin's face, and angry words are exchanged.Shortly thereafter, Tragedy Strikes. We will never know this film's "What Might Have Been". Perhaps even Director Marco Berger cannot know. BUT....in the story's closing 20 minutes, we find ourselves being carried along, within Sebastian's innermost mind, seeing him live each day--though he is acting as in a near-trance. Then, startlingly, we begin experiencing "What Might Have Been" memories of past times spent with Martin (but happening as Sebastian wishes they "might" have occurred). Closing shots take place with the Coach revisiting the darkened and ghostly poolhouse. Then follows a final scene of our Co-leads (yes, both) seeking and finding one another in the semi-darkness: ....a Sweet Kiss....an Admission of Regret....a Request for Forgiveness. And we see, for the very first time in this unhappy film, a tender smile appear on the face of Sebastian.PS--Oh, face it....I want Romance! (M. B. does it so well)****