Elderly people have a fame of being mis- and under-represented in media. Often times just wise, comforting figures to younger protagonists, they are hardly at the center of the stories. "Candelaria" challenges that by not only being very clearly protagonized by an elderly couple, but showing them as complete characters too. Despite their age and wisdom, they still make mistakes, lie, lust and altogether, LIVE.
The title character is part of the laundry staff in a Havana tourist hotel and she lives in a typically Habanero apartment (kind of falling apart) with her husband Victor Hugo, and their illegally-obtained chickens, during Cuba's "special period" in the 1990s (when the U.S.-led economic blockade on the country tightened and food became scarcer). After a guest at the hotel misplaces his camcorder and it happens upon Candelaria's hands, who takes it home, its novelty eventually leads to her and Victor Hugo rediscovering each other and their relationship.
The character flaws and their decisions work explicitly to make them more human, relatable and likable. As their chemistry rekindles, Victor Hugo finds himself in touch with a European expat in Cuba who "milks the crisis", letting cash-short Cubans come to him desperate to sells possessions for dollars. In Victor Hugo's case, his private video recordings with Candelaria are what the black market dealer is interested in. The absurdity of Victor Hugo and Candelaria finding themselves as somewhat unwilling porn actors at their age is played somewhat for humor, but with an underlying current of dignity and respect.
Unfortunately this and other plot trends in the movie don't get developed or resolved that much, making this a mostly pleasing and original mood piece than a plotted narrative. The voyeuristic commentary is meta, with Victor and Candelaria's videos, as well as the movie itself being almost slice-of-life, resulting in an interesting portrayal of an under-represented demographic, aided by a fair amount of Cuban flavor and flair for life.
The title character is part of the laundry staff in a Havana tourist hotel and she lives in a typically Habanero apartment (kind of falling apart) with her husband Victor Hugo, and their illegally-obtained chickens, during Cuba's "special period" in the 1990s (when the U.S.-led economic blockade on the country tightened and food became scarcer). After a guest at the hotel misplaces his camcorder and it happens upon Candelaria's hands, who takes it home, its novelty eventually leads to her and Victor Hugo rediscovering each other and their relationship.
The character flaws and their decisions work explicitly to make them more human, relatable and likable. As their chemistry rekindles, Victor Hugo finds himself in touch with a European expat in Cuba who "milks the crisis", letting cash-short Cubans come to him desperate to sells possessions for dollars. In Victor Hugo's case, his private video recordings with Candelaria are what the black market dealer is interested in. The absurdity of Victor Hugo and Candelaria finding themselves as somewhat unwilling porn actors at their age is played somewhat for humor, but with an underlying current of dignity and respect.
Unfortunately this and other plot trends in the movie don't get developed or resolved that much, making this a mostly pleasing and original mood piece than a plotted narrative. The voyeuristic commentary is meta, with Victor and Candelaria's videos, as well as the movie itself being almost slice-of-life, resulting in an interesting portrayal of an under-represented demographic, aided by a fair amount of Cuban flavor and flair for life.