Hernan Gaffet's "Ciudad En Celo", a 2006 film from Argentina presents the viewer with a lot of ideas. Basically it is the story of a group of friends of a certain age who meet regularly in the Garlington bar, its name is a tribute to two of the owner's idols, Carlos Gardel of Argentina and Duke Ellington of the United States. In many ways the film kept reminding this viewer of a better made movie about the same theme: Wayne Wang's "Smoke" that takes place in a smoke shop in Brooklyn, with a screenplay by Paul Auster.
The action centers on three friends and Duke, the owner of the Garlington. Sergio, a writer, is seen spending his time on writing a screenplay. He sees the world passing by without making a contribution to either finishing his project, or changing anything he sees wrong. Marcos, is another friend always on the lookout for women. He is sometimes lucky, but most of the time, he spends idling away at the bar. Valeria, a voluptuous singer, has been involved with Sergio, now there does not seem they have much going on, but the memories of what they experienced once. The news of their friend's Sebastian's suicide weighs heavily on all of the friends. Duke, the owner, sees the changes around him, enduring the visit of a homeless woman, as well as an attempt of robbery in his bar.
The film does not maintain its momentum as there are some arid patches in the narrative which tend to get the viewer sidetracked when some things are unexplained. Director Hernan Gaffet shows some talent and one wished he added more humor to the text. The setting lends itself for a lot more, but one keeps waiting in vain for it to become a reality. What Mr. Gaffet gets is good ensemble playing from his cast.
The action centers on three friends and Duke, the owner of the Garlington. Sergio, a writer, is seen spending his time on writing a screenplay. He sees the world passing by without making a contribution to either finishing his project, or changing anything he sees wrong. Marcos, is another friend always on the lookout for women. He is sometimes lucky, but most of the time, he spends idling away at the bar. Valeria, a voluptuous singer, has been involved with Sergio, now there does not seem they have much going on, but the memories of what they experienced once. The news of their friend's Sebastian's suicide weighs heavily on all of the friends. Duke, the owner, sees the changes around him, enduring the visit of a homeless woman, as well as an attempt of robbery in his bar.
The film does not maintain its momentum as there are some arid patches in the narrative which tend to get the viewer sidetracked when some things are unexplained. Director Hernan Gaffet shows some talent and one wished he added more humor to the text. The setting lends itself for a lot more, but one keeps waiting in vain for it to become a reality. What Mr. Gaffet gets is good ensemble playing from his cast.