Stimulating cinema: Gigante

Director: Adrian Biniez
Year: 2009

This gem is from Uruguay, although it could really have been made in any country. The theme is universal, especially for a certain type of guy (or I'm sure girl too, but I can't relate to being on the other side of the equation). If you've ever pined after a pretty girl, if you've ever gone out of your way to find out as much as you can about someone in the hopes that maybe you'll hit it off, if you've ever been shy or maybe just not felt good enough about yourself to strike up a conversation, then this movie is you. All the frustration, uncertainty and pain is right there on display. Believe me.

I have been this guy--in fact, it's a miracle that I even met my wife and got married at all. How much time did I waste in my life, longing to go out with a woman or even just have a conversation with one and not having the courage to do so? Shyness and insecurity can be crippling, paralyzing even. Although things have worked out incredibly well for me in my personal relationship, there are some things I wish I might have done differently when I was younger. Confidence is the key, and you either have it or you don't. I guess you can learn to be more assertive and outgoing, but if it doesn't come naturally, it's unbelievably hard. And if there are things about you (being a little too heavy, not having enough hair, maybe not having a nice enough car) that you wish could be better, than it just adds to the feelings of loneliness and helplessness.

Our hero is Jara (Horacio Camandule). He is indeed a giant of a man, towering over practically everyone else. Jara is maybe a little out of shape but nothing bad--he works out faithfully--and a decent enough looking guy. His inner qualities are stellar though--Jara is kind and thoughtful. He gets along famously with his young nephew and is really just a big kid at heart himself. He likes heavy metal, rolls his eyes when his sister tries to give him money or asks him to spruce up his apartment and treats everyone in his path with decency. Jara commands respect because of his size and indeed he is defined by his size (he works a second job on the weekend as a bouncer at a club). Everyone calls him "big guy" and he is an easily-likable, honest, earnest sort of guy.

Jara works as a security guard at a large, warehouse-type store that sells groceries but also small electronics and other items as well. He works the graveyard shift, going in each night at 11 and monitors the store's security cameras while making sure the overnight crew doesn't steal from the store. Jara soon falls--hard--for one of the members of the cleaning crew. At first, he confines his attention to watching on her over the monitors but he soon starts following her as she goes about her day-to-day activities. Technically of course, this is stalking but there is nothing malicious about Jara's intent. If anything it's sadly sweet, like a big puppy dog. And he is also highly protective--at one of their "dates" a cab driver makes a lewd comment towards the woman and Jara promptly bashes his brains. Jara gradually inches a little further in his quest; he finds out the woman's name (Julia) and he leaves a miniature cactus for her as a gift.

But of course there are complications. Jara feels threatened when he sees Julia (Leonor Svarcas) talking to a better looking co-worker and his insecurity's rise even further when Julia goes out on an actual date with a man she's been chatting with online. Of course, Jara follows them to the restaurant and continues to follow the man afterwards. Whether he plans to beat him up or talk to him is unclear, but through circumstance the two end up talking later in the evening. Jara finds out that there probably won't be a second date--they didn't really click with one another--and that--wonder of wonders!--Julia likes heavy metal two. His path to the goal line has been opened wide now and all Jara is to do is run the ball in. But can he? Will he?

This movie is just a joy. The work of a first-time director, it's quiet and unassuming and doesn't try to be anything more than what it is. Camandule is excellent; he carries the film on his broad shoulders and over the course of 90 or so minutes we develop a real fondness for him. We really want him to say something to Julia and it's almost painful to watch him taking the baby steps in that direction. He's not a typical hero, but a hero nonetheless.

The photo with this post shows the two leads, plus director Biniez, at the Berlin Film Festival in 2009.