Making his first feature, writer/director Daniel Ribeiro appears to adopt the approach common in many debutant creative: traversing a tried and tested path. The Brazilian filmmaker not only relates a coming-of-age tale of young love comparable in concept and content to a wealth of other efforts, but also bases his initial foray into the full-length medium on his own short, 2010’s I Don’t Want to Go Back Alone. Themes of identity and independence filter through an account of yearning for connection and certainty. In its astute sweetness and upbeat sensitivity, however, The Way He Looks (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho) becomes more than just the sum of well-worn components.
Lazing by the pool as their summer comes to an end, blind teenager Leonardo (Ghilherme Lobo) and his devoted best pal Giovana (Tess Amorim) discuss the inertia of their lives, debating whether the impending return to school is worthy of sadness or enthusiasm. ‘The best dramas and great romances never happen during our vacations,’ Giovana asserts – and as they embark on another year of classes, her wish for excitement comes to fruition. Leonardo warms to newcomer Gabriel (Fabio Audi), finding a new awakening in their friendship. The bond between the boys incites jealousy in Giovana, as Gabriel supplants her as Leonardo’s primary caretaker and confidant.
Ribeiro’s preceding offering was made purely to raise finance for The Way He Looks, an undertaking well served by the resultant feature. Winner of the Teddy Award at the 2014 Berlin Film Festival, his complete outing is earnest and empathetic as it filters standard teen issues through the frameworks of disability and the queer experience. Yet, this is not an issues-oriented effort, but a film that embraces the range of factors that can complicate the passage to maturity. Though there is a lack of nuance in the perceived difference of Leonardo’s inability to see and affection for Gabriel through merciless and cruel peer taunting – particularly during a third-act school trip – the ensuing conflict is thoughtfully and tenderly handled.
Sincere performances assist in navigating what could have proven a routine adolescent offering, enhancing the underlying dissection of a complicated emotional landscape. Indeed, much of the movie’s unassuming charm and resonant authenticity comes from the three leads, each retained from the short film, albeit advancing their characters’ years accordingly this time around. The beguiling Lobo imparts a wide range of sentiments in his expressive portrayal, convincing in manifesting Leonardo’s desire for normality, as well as in playing someone absent of sight. Amorim and Audi exceed the bounds of offsiders, affording their characters – the platonic source of company with overtures of her own, and the irresistible guide into a world of potential, respectively – with depth and nuance that also ventures past their status as catalysts for complexity.
A soft aesthetic invests a dreamy air to The Way He Looks, fittingly so given the feature’s title, yet once again utilising the standard sheen seen in so many other youth-oriented efforts does more than play to type. Just as in the story that unravels, Ribeiro infuses his imagery with hope, as oozing through returning director of photography Pierre de Kerchove’s cool and leisurely lens. Other touches, including the use of David Bowie’s iconic Modern Love amongst the soundtrack at a time in which the central romantic quandary most strongly comes to the fore, further adds optimistic energy. The end product is nothing short of endearing in its considerate telling of passion and personality in its formative stages.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
The Way He Looks (Hoje Eu Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Director: Daniel Ribeiro
Brazil, 2014, 95 mins
Queer Screen Film Festival
www.queerscreen.org.au
17 – 21 September
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