GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020 - Initials S.G.
GLASGOW FILM FESTIVAL 2020
Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia’s Initials S. G. is one-part dark comedy, one-part psychological noir and equal-parts visually engaging. It is oddly sinister in its sense of humor. The film is deeply interested in the comedy of the protagonist’s inherent lifestyle and the tragedy of his downward spiral. This allows the film to serve as a character study that explores anger, resentment and the desire to do something meaningful in life.
Diego Peretti stars as Sergio Garces, a wannabe film star who works as a paid extra for both auteur cinema and adult films. The film follows his troubling and constantly escalating exploits as he attempts to recover from a horrific bike accident. He then attempts to find work despite having a grotesque injury on his face. He also starts a passionate affair with an American film director named Jane (Julianne Nicholson), and tries to escape the aftermath of a horrific crime that he unwillingly commits. Peretti provides a captivating performance and balances the shifting tone of the film on his shoulders. Pitiful, endearing and hilariously angry, Peretti finds the deeper pain and anguish lying beneath the surface through both a thoughtful dead stare and his character’s alluring swagger. The film focuses on Sergio’s journey with the various peaks and valleys that result from his actions. The film’s comedic and dramatic juggling act extends naturally from his emotional turmoil.
Attieh and Garcia capture a dark and moody aesthetic and take great care to reflect Sergio’s mental state through the camera’s movement or, more aptly, the lack of movement. His state is also reflected in the jazz-influenced musical score (Bill Laurance and Maciej Zielinski; a la Taxi Driver) and the colour palette. Sergio is often contrasted against a portrait of his ambition and many failures, both visually in the shot composition and narratively in terms of how the story builds around him. His insecurities, fears and readily apparent anger issues shine clearly through a combination of Peretti’s performance, the camera’s stillness and the development of his character as the tense narrative unfolds.
Though the film takes an unexpected and ultimately weird turn toward the midpoint of the story, it is justified by remaining committed to the dark exploration of its lead throughout. Sergio’s life is defined by the battle between his greatest ambitions and the consequences of his miscalculated choices. The film crafts a deeply sympathetic portrayal of its lead contrasting against the serene city of Buenos Aires both visually and narratively. His relationship to his home country of Argentina defines much of his motivation and provides a symbolic frame of reference for the development of the story. The film feels as though it could not take place anywhere else, and yet also feels universal in its themes of yearning it hangs on the perils of relying on instinct and human nature which only propels one into guilt and suffering.
The film is masterful in how it carefully observes and studies its main character. With the use of voice-over – which is usually unnecessary – the viewer gains a great deal of context and insight into the inner thoughts and overriding desires that define Sergio. Everything about the film works on a technical and narrative level. Initials S. G. is ultimately a tragic experience that unravels and dissects the life of a troubled man. It possesses the early makings of a true classic.
