In the film, Sebastián Silva is in Mexico City to paint and write a philosophical diary. So he might find his life pleasant, but he doesn’t. He gets drunk on drugs, and his notes revolve around his desire to end his life.
Constantly snorting ketamine, Sebastián takes refuge in the studio where he paints and sleeps. The maid and cleaner Verónica (Catalina Saavedra) observes Sebastián’s drug use with concern.
On a trip to a gay nude beach, he meets social media star Jordan Firstman. He desperately wants to develop a TV show with the help of Sebastian, who despises him and his means of survival, social media.
The raunchy, darkly humorous comedy quickly moves towards a crime thriller. Silva and Firstman satirize themselves in the form of their cinematic alter egos in the fictional plot itself.
Furthermore, the film happily dismantles the convention of frontal male nudity, which has not yet been overcome in the film industry. There are penises in all shapes and sizes. There are sex scenes that may shock the most unsuspecting.
“Rotting in the Sun” lets two opposing worlds collide in the story. The more or less creative, which includes Sebastián, Jordan Firstman and their nihilistic group, are preoccupied with themselves, their cell phones and their hedonistic lifestyles. They despise Mexican workers.
Another satirical theme is social media. Firstman is a ball of energy, chaotic, full of life and fun, and he contrasts sharply with the somewhat bitter and suicidal Silva. The two, however, have great physical chemistry.
Rather than turning the film into a Hitchcockian thriller, the filmmaker takes a completely different, less conventional direction, making “Rotting in the Sun” a provocative character study with a touch of dark comedy and moral ambiguity.
Catalina Saavedra, who had previously worked with the director on “La Nana,” stands out among the good cast for having the most complex and well-written role. Fortunately, the script not only gives her space to bring her character to life, but she gives a nuanced performance that humanizes the work.
*Eduardo de Assumpção is a journalist and responsible for the blog cinematografiaqueer.blogspot.com
Source: Maxima
I am an experienced author and journalist with a passion for lifestyle journalism. I currently work for Buna Times, one of the leading news websites in the world. I specialize in writing stories about health, wellness, fashion, beauty, interior design, and more. My articles have been featured on major publications such as The Guardian and The Huffington Post.