Here and Now (Paz Leon, 2019): Costa Rica

Reviewed by Nicholas DeBruno. Viewed at the 2019 Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Here and Now, a romantic comedy directed by Paz Leon. This being her feature length directorial debut after a myriad of short film releases, is a clever twist on the romantic comedy. While falling in line with many of the tropes of cut and copy American Rom Coms, the film manages to offer a unique twist on the genre all while giving an intimate look into modern Costa Rican society. Making a splash in an already crowded genre is a difficult task to pull off but I think that Paz Leon, with her unique narrative about a young girl who has given everything to become the successful dancer that she is, and how much she is willing to give up for a newly developed relationship, has succeeded and then some with this film.

In this film the main draw is it’s narrative. As an audience member it is incredibly easy to become enveloped in the engrossing story about the struggle of budding relationships and how the unexpected challenges of life have an affect on that in a real way. In terms of technical film-making nothing in this film was extra-ordinary, in fact everything just felt ordinary. Ordinary is not a bad thing, just don’t go into this film expecting to be blown away by its impressive editing or its amazing use of camera presence. Nothing about the movie is technically bad it is just very standard. That being said, in terms of performances I thought that Lara (Erina Libertad) had an amazing performance, especially considering that this film is her first acting role.

At the end of the day this film is a very good romantic comedy that has a captivating story, that in some ways flips the genre on its head. The film was able to do this all while keeping this powerful idea of finding new love in something that has been lost. Whether that’s moving away from your hometown for the first time and the love you regain for a place you once grew tired of, or being able to find love in someone who has wronged you. This movie is a fun and enjoyable viewing experience due mostly in part to its very personal story and convincing performances.