not as good as all the hype

If you're interested in the topic at hand, you should just watch it and judge yourself because the reviews have gone very biased by people that didn't even watch it and just hate (or love) the creator. I liked it, it was well written, narrated, and directed and it was about a topic that interests me.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

Although not specifically stated, the film is set in Neuquen, Argentina's "outback" in what is most likely the 1980s (judging from the music) or possibly the 90s. So, no cell-phones, web-cams or any of the modern amenities one would have expected of kids today. Instead, we see a very raw, realistic look at bored, awkward kids in what appear to be their early teens. I have to be honest that I will watch almost any story about Argentina. However, given the tendency towards shock-value in most modern films, I wasn't surprised by the constant, unfortunate references to masturbation (yes...we get it...teens do that. But why the constant need to emphasize it? Nothing new there). For me, the redeeming side was the interaction between the three protagonists...that is, when they weren't groping each other. In fact, I was honestly put off by the blatant exploitation of the female protagonist's body, and had to check to see how old she was at the time it was made (apparently 20, but still...I found it unsettling as they made her look WAY too young). I can say this film kept my interest, but then again, as I said previously, I'll watch almost anything that comes from Argentina.

I really didn't want to dis this movie, because the acting/directing was great and the movie does succeed in capturing the teenage vibe, despite the male actors look a little older than 16 to me (still very cute though).What makes me rate it a 4 is the total absence of a script. There is no depth of characters, no character development, no conflict. I don't mind experimental storytelling as long as I'm engaged and care for the characters. You don't in this movie and I found myself thinking like scandojazzbuff - wake me up when it's over.The Gus Van Sant style rather annoyed than impressed me - that's how all alternative coming of age movies look like.It seems to me many film makers want to both write and direct their movies. If you're not Woody Allen and can pull it off, maybe it would be a good idea to use that old thing called a scriptwriter.

I just saw this at the Toronto International Film Festival, and although I had high hopes, I didn't love it. The concept is good and should have worked - i.e. the frenetic and disjointed experience of teenage realities in remote Argentina being translated cinematically by alternating concentration on both the mundane and the exciting, using a lot of guerrilla hand-held camera work, solarized post-production, random cuts and stop-motion editing of the film. But the end product appears weak... at one point my friend said "I don't think I can stand another abstract, hand-held, blurry, close-up - its making me dizzy." The pacing of the film is really slow too. But I agree with some of the above comments - there are moments that are very sweet/naive - a total immersion into the teenage experience.

I saw this film as it premiered at the Rotterdam Festival. It is a beautifully judged rendering of a teenager's dysfunctional life at home and sexual experimentation with friends. Every scene is perfectly pitched and rife with playful directorial invention such as the main character's (Lucas?) idle toying with the 'monkey with banana' toy in the girl's bedroom and the 'open/closed' game and his mother's English lesson earlier - there are many examples. The direction of the subject matter is fresh, sensitive, mature and never contrived, indulgent or heavy handed. The camera work is some of the best DV work I've ever seen, artful, free, fluid and instinctive.Most impressive is how every role is perfectly cast, particularly the teenagers (although I may have had initial reservations about the father, I was sufficiently convinced by the end). The central character is realised by a soulful performance from the beautiful quirky looking actor. He has the most subtly expressive face, at once mischievous and vulnerable.It is a fine fearless debut brimming with talent, good taste and a big beating heart that transcends it's meagre budget.