Precisely written and deliberately shot, “José,” a Guatemala-set Lgbtq character examination from Chinese-born director Li Cheng, is a movie preoccupied with the private tragedy of unfulfilled impulses and aspirations as a result of widespread homophobia and emotional blackmail.
Between his job flagging down cars to get costumers to eat at a shuco (Guatemalan-style hot dog) restaurant and helping his devoutly religious mother, 19-year-old José (Enrique Salanic) finds time to live out his sexuality in secret through dating-app hookups. We never see what’s on his cell phone’s screen, but we do witness clandestine meetings with men in dark rooms. Even as the sun shines outside, light barely penetrates the furtive interiors shrouded by thick shadows.
As if the camera is spying on José’s rendezvous, Cheng and cinematographer Paolo Giron always film him from afar, usually on the opposite side of the sidewalk as he waits for his next
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Between his job flagging down cars to get costumers to eat at a shuco (Guatemalan-style hot dog) restaurant and helping his devoutly religious mother, 19-year-old José (Enrique Salanic) finds time to live out his sexuality in secret through dating-app hookups. We never see what’s on his cell phone’s screen, but we do witness clandestine meetings with men in dark rooms. Even as the sun shines outside, light barely penetrates the furtive interiors shrouded by thick shadows.
As if the camera is spying on José’s rendezvous, Cheng and cinematographer Paolo Giron always film him from afar, usually on the opposite side of the sidewalk as he waits for his next
