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Reviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
AUGUST EVENING
August Evening documents the quotidian exterior of daily existence, but somehow, gets under the skin and into the heart of its characters. This gentle, naturalist charmer burrows into the lives of a Mexican family etching out their lives in different parts of Texas and at varying levels of financial success. After the sudden death of his wife, Jaime (Pedro Castaneda), an undocumented Mexican farmhand, is left alone with his doting daughter-in-law Lupe (Veronica Loren) in their shabby, agrarian home. His son, Lupe’s husband, is long dead, but the striking young woman devotes herself to Jamie like a real daughter, or a widow with no hope of remarriage. As one misfortune follows another, Jamie loses his job, and the odd couple finds themselves in San Antonio, ricocheting between the homes of Jamie’s remaining children. The short visits showcase those family dynamics that make even the closest relationships strained and disappointing. Jamie’s son Victor (Abel Becerra) finds it difficult to reach out to his father, not even telling him of the birth of his second child. Although this is partially the result of distance and the whirlwind of everyday life, Victor is also ashamed of having to struggle to support his young family. This nagging sensation of disappointment with one’s children, one’s parents, and one’s life is a thread that runs throughout the film. While Victor feels that he lost the reigns on the immigrant dream, Jaime’s daughter Alice (Sandra R. Rios) embodies it. Living in a model home with a kind, white husband, her disappointment is directed outward at her unrefined father and his encroachment on her perfect life. Only the wistful Lupe views her lot in life as an immutable fact, resisting opportunity even when it falls at her feet— Luis (Walter Perez), a hip young butcher worthy of Lupe’s good looks, who offers her comfort and companionship. Her unwillingness to leave Jaime in poverty and solitude is the only roadblock to the budding love and a sad example of how happiness can be derailed by ill-timed circumstance. Lupe and Jaime—both
effortlessly acted—spend the better part of the film washing dishes,
frying their meals, or simply walking. Scenes seem to pass as mundanely
as their days but, somehow, the meditative quality of everyday chores
holds our attention. And because the soundtrack is sparse and the
personalities muted, the contrast of an occasional burst of emotions
creates a breathtaking effect. Yana
Litovsky
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