After Lucia (Michel Franco, 2012): Mexico, France

Reviewed By: Tyler Fourmy. Reviewed at AFI Fest 2012.

After Lucia is one of the most disturbing films I have ever watched, and I frequently watch extremely violent, gruesome even overly sexual films. Not a drop of blood is spilled in the movie, the most uncomfortable scenes in the film you can not even see the acts that make you cringe. This is what makes After Lucia so dark, so moving and so demanding subtle. You are forced to conceive the ideas yourself, you aren’t told what to think let alone what to feel. After Lucia is a very moving film surround teenage bullying. To be honest I wouldn’t recommended watching the film, yet it is so striking that it should be viewed. If it was a more graphic film it would almost be easier to watch, I loved and hated every moment in the film, but never once wanted to stop watching.

This Mexican film was written and directed by Michel Franco which stars sadly beautiful Tessa Ia as Alejandra. This film takes a very dark look into adolescence as we live through Alejandra. this drama is unrelenting as it drags its viewers through long emotional takes and deep into the soft eyes of a teenager slowing being beaten into submission by society. The film takes place following the death of Alejandra’s mother. Roberto (Hernan Mendoza), her father, packs up what is left of the family and moves to Mexico City from Puerto Vallarta (Santa Barbara’s sister city!), throwing her into a new school and trying to escape the death of his wife, her mother. The father is tense yet loving through out the film, and Alejandra has no trouble socializing with a group of new friends from the school. She goes off to a weekend vacation house with the new found friends, and after a night of drinking ends up having sex on video with one of the boys. The video surfaces all over school as Alejandra is rained upon with a gruesome barrage of social torment.

With no soundtrack other than diegetic music, there is a very soft intense feel through out the film. Use of soft blues and very sparsely decorated rooms leaves the viewers feeling just as uncomfortable as our main character. The use of straight shots with very long takes allows you to see and feel the characters emotions as it drags on. A very interesting use of fixed cameras on natural dollys, such as cars and boats, makes for a grisly takes. Most of the shots contained muted colors or soft blues, and water is the only security that Alejandra finds from the torment. The only time she finds peace is through swimming, and she attempts to escape through the ocean. the father also has this connection, which is surprising because usually the blues in films signify sadness, and though pain is still prevalent, peace is obtained through the water in the film.

This film is difficult to watch, if you can muster up the strength and time to watch an innocent girl go through an intense test of character than give this a watch. This film makes you feel uncomfortable, but I believe that is a main objective. I was left moved by the film, which entails a deep experience of imagery and sound.


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