Lock Charmer (Spanish: El cerrajero) is a 2014 Argentine drama film written and directed by Natalia Smirnoff.[1][2][3] The film premiered in-competition in the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2014.[4][5]
| Lock Charmer | |
|---|---|
 Sundance film poster | |
| Directed by | Natalia Smirnoff |
| Written by | Natalia Smirnoff |
| Produced by | Juan Pablo Miller |
| Starring | Esteban Lamothe Érica Rivas Yosiria Huaripata Sergio Boris |
| Cinematography | Guillermo Nieto |
| Edited by | Delfina Castagnino |
| Music by | Alejandro Franov |
Production company | Memento Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 77 minutes |
| Country | Argentina |
| Language | Spanish |
The film later premiered at the 2014 Fribourg International Film Festival on March 29, 2014.[6][7]
Plot
editThirty-three-year-old locksmith, Sebastian doesn't believe in committed relationships. He learns from his recent girlfriend, Monica, that she's pregnant but she isn't sure that he is the father. During the same time, he discovers that whenever he fixes someones locks, he gets a vision into their lives, which reveals their feelings. Soon this power starts to complicate his life. After he warns a maid named Daisy that her boyfriend is stealing from her boss, she leaves her boyfriend, and Sebastian takes her in. But when he sees a vision about his own life, Sebastian is forced to examine every aspect of his life.
Cast
edit- Esteban Lamothe as Sebastian
- Érica Rivas as Monica
- Yosiria Huaripata as Daisy
- Sergio Boris as Sebastian's father
- Arturo Goetz
- María Onetto
- Luis Ziembrowski
- Germán de Silva
- Nahuel Mutti
- Claudia Cantero
Reception
editLock Charmer received positive reviews upon its premiere at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival. Geoff Berkshire of Variety, said in his review that "Natalia Smirnoff's second feature is a wisp of melancholy comedy with a dose of magical realism."[8] Boyd van Hoeij in his review for The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A modest but quite charming feature about an Argentinean locksmith who unlocks truths about the lives of his clients."[9] Eric Kohn from Indiewire praised the film by saying that "Measured and never indulgent in its depiction of the plot's mystical ingredients, “Lock Charmer” does a great job at blending two genres and placing them in the strangeness of the 2008 setting" and praised the performances of Lamothe and Huaripata that "Lamothe portrays the locksmith as a man at once perturbed by the behavior of the women in his life and resentful towards his male role model — namely, his estranged father. The natural chemistry between him and Huaripata, as Daisy, matches the efficiency of the movie's direction."[10]
Accolades
edit
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sundance Film Festival | World Cinema Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic | Natalia Smirnoff | Nominated |
| 2014 | Fribourg International Film Festival | Grand Prix | Natalia Smirnoff | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "LatinoBuzz: Natalia Smirnoff Director of 'Lock Charmer' On Premiering Her Film at Sundance 2014". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "Sundance 2014: Meet Natalia Smirnoff, Argentine Director of 'Lock Charmer' and Lover of 'The Avengers'". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "Natalia Smirnoff, Lock Charmer". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "Sundance 2014: World Cinema Dramatic Competition". Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "Lock Charmer (El cerrajero) - Director Natalia Smirnoff". Retrieved January 18, 2014.
- ^ "Lock Charmer - El Cerrajero". Archived from the original on April 27, 2014. Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "28e FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL DE FILMS DE FRIBOURG 2014 - March 29 - April 5, 2014". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "Film Review: 'Lock Charmer'". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "The Lock Charmer (El cerrajero): Sundance Review". Retrieved April 14, 2014.
- ^ "Sundance Review: 'Lock Charmer' Wonderfully Explores the Magic of Being Honest". Retrieved April 14, 2014.