Director: Matías Piñeiro
Writer: Matías Piñeiro
Actors: Maria Villar, Alberto Ajaka, Augustina Munoz, Julian Tello
Rating: PG
Runtime: 45 min
The words of William Shakespeare have inspired and influenced many film directors. Some choose to directly translate his stage plays for the big screen, while others add their own spin and unique ideas. Argentinian director Matías Piñeiro began his ongoing film project entitled “The Shakespeariada” with the short film Rosalinda in 2010. Since then, he has focused on the words of the great playwright with his feature works Viola (2012) and the upcoming The Princess of France. Few directors have imagined the worlds of Shakespeare quite like this, and the resulting work is as mesmerizing and enchanting as it is lovely.
In Rosalinda, a group of young actors and actresses from Buenos Ares meet near a sunny river to rehearse their version of the well-known pastoral farce As You Like It. As one comes to expect with the films of Piñeiro, the world of the play begins to leak into the real lives of these characters, and they begin to adopt their roles and life inevitably begins to imitate art. Luisa (Maria Villar), the young lady portraying Rosalind, receives a phone call immediately before the rehearsal, and the conversation affects her performance and causes her to begin to confuse the boundaries of fantasy and reality.
This film is slow and sultry, with a much heavier focus on atmosphere than on narrative or plot, yet it easily creates interest and investment. The cinematography is beautiful, and the scenery that is captured causes one to long for a lazy afternoon spent on the Tigre River. The young characters are also attractive, energetic, and personable, and this superbly talented group of actors truly come to life in their roles and veritably crackle with energy. As is often the case with films based upon or inspired by classic originals, it is amusing to hear the familiar lines we know so well spoken in a new context, and the words that Piñeiro has added allow his characters to sound like real young people spending their time chatting, flirting, and discussing matters of the heart.
Rosalinda marks a brief, debut foray into the world of Shakespeare for director Piñeiro. The piece anticipates the style in which this iconic director crafted his follow up feature films, slowly building a carefully constructed atmosphere of refined sexiness. There is a feeling of freedom associated with these films, although they are clearly finely crafted pieces of work. An enjoyable new take on a well beloved comedic play, Rosalinda is a treat for the eyes that will cause a viewer to consider this world in a whole new way.
Rating: 8
