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Released by: Wolfe Video
Released on: 6/1/2011
Director: Javier Fuentes-Leon
Cast: Cristian Mercado, Manolo Cardona, Tatiana Astengo
Year: 2010
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The Movie:
Director Javier Fuentes-Leon's UNDERTOW (known in its native Peru as Contracorriente) has been labeled a cross between GHOST and BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN. While that is not exactly a flawed comparison, it does sell the film a bit short.
Like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, UNDERTOW is a film that deals with gay issues but at its core it is a human drama that an open-minded audience should be able to embrace as a quality film.
Briefly, the story here revolves around three central characters - local fisherman Miguel, his lovely (and very pregnant wife) Mariela and “outsider†Santiago - an artist who has been living sporadically in the village for years but has always been regarded with suspicion by the tight-knit local community. Miguel and Santiago have been having a passionate and secret affair for years. Santiago wants Miguel to face his true nature - but Miguel is simply not ready. A man in conflict with both his own sexuality, his love for Santiago and his deep affection for his wife, Miguel is a fascinating character and actor Cristian Mercado does a superb job. Indeed, one of the film's strongest aspects is the acting - the three principals are terrific, and the myriad villagers that populate the seaside community have the ring of authenticity.
How this triangle unravels (and how the film incorporates its supernatural element) is one of the great pleasures of UNDERTOW so I will leave it for the viewer to discover. One of the film's most interesting aspects is the treatment of the character of Miguel's wife. Instead of the usual clichés she is a truly sympathetic character and her relationship with Miguel is not without both love and affection. Watching Miguel “work through†this relationship (and his other issues) is the heart and soul of UNDERTOW.
Unfortunately, due to being from Peru (and therefore in Spanish) and its gay themes, UNDERTOW could be unfairly overlooked by a more mainstream audience. That would be a shame as it is in many ways a superior film to something like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN.
Video/Audio/Extras:
UNDERTOW arrives on Blu-ray with a strong and pleasing transfer. This is a beautifully shot film that takes place in stunning scenery - anyone who enjoys the beach will want start planning their next vacation watching this. Flesh tones are natural and everything looks very good. There is some occasional softness to the image but it looks intentional. Also, there is a fair amount of underwater photography here and it is handled quite well.
Audio is available in two lossless tracks: a Spanish DTS-HDMA 5.1 and 2.0. I listened to the 5.1 and it is a well-balanced track with excellent clarity. As for subtitles, sadly they appear to be “burned in†so for Spanish speakers that would prefer to dump them, unless you have a workaround on your unit you look out of luck.
Extras consist of approximately 25 minutes of deleted scenes which are definitely worth a look. Personally I don't think anything was cut that should not have been but some of these are worthwhile viewing. There are also two featurettes about the making of the film. One focuses on a chat with the director and the other is more interested in the physical production. Both are interesting and the director's chat is in English. Actors Mercado and Tatiana Astengo sit for short interviews as well and both come across quite nicely. Finally, you have a trailer, a weird gay-themed anti-downloading PSA and a “tolerance†PSA from star Sofia Vergara with no subtitles. I have no idea what she is saying but she certainly looks good doing it.
The Final Word:
UNDERTOW is recommended to both an open-minded audience as well as the LBTG and art house/foreign film communities.
