Absent

Fell in love with "PLAN B" (a Romance)...BUT this.......
.....Latest Work is so very much the opposite (well, perhaps there's a "tinge" of romantic love). Instead, we're being
given: A Crush-love...almost a Stalkerish-love.

(( THIS IS ACTUALLY A 3.5-STAR RATING // POSSIBLE SPOILERS AHEAD ))

(( In a comparison, "Absent" is the more accomplished production....both in camera work and locations-wise. And as in the earlier film, here the Co-leads and supporting actors also cannot be faulted. Javier De Pietro, as Gay-aware, swim team student Martin Blanco, delivers an admirable first film performance as a mid-teens young man, who is "crushing" on his team coach. Martin has a "Plan" (but, unlike in Director Berger's preceding film, no alternative, or Plan B, has even been thought of). Single-minded and intensely focused, our Martin has set his sights on placing himself in his team coach's very own bed. Up next, as our unsuspecting object of affection (I mean, obsession), we have the attractive, student-oriented Coach...

To Sir With Love
This is an Argentinean film from director Marco Berger who brought us `Plan B'. It tells the story of Martin (Javier De Pietro) a swarthy, sixteen year old schoolboy, who has a crush on his teacher, which I am led to believe is a pretty common event. Martins' teacher though is Sebastian (Carlos Echivarria) and he is the sports teacher. One day at swim class Martin feigns an eye injury and the Proffessore has to take him to the eye doctor. Martin though has unhatched a cunning plan that sees him getting to stay the night with his teacher and closer to the object of his desires.

Martin just keeps pushing the boundaries all the time but in a kind of innocent way and his teacher just isn't sure what is going on. The following day he starts to realise that Martin is not so innocent and this leads to further complications and gets the emotions of both of them all mixed up.

This film is like waiting for a bomb to explode, it is dripping with a brooding quality of...

"You know I could get into deep trouble for this...."
ABSENT has got to be one of the most intriguing films I've ever watched. A romance flick turned thriller just when you think you know where it's going. The very handsome Javier De Pietro is "Martin Blanco" a 16 year old student who joins a swim team mostly because he is highly attracted to the swim instructor "Sebastian" (Carlos Echevarria)and soon devises a plan of seduction to get what he wants.

What he actually gets is a bit of resistance from the 30-something, engaged instructor who is not so quick to show interest in the student, and is worried about his career and reputation should anyone, especially Martin, find out about his mutual attraction. But somewhere along the way, things take a dramatic twist and lead Sebastian down a road that he just might not survive.

I have to admit this film didn't go where I thought it should. What plays out is a scenario I not only didn't expect, but was certainly not hoping for in my own fantasy, as I eagerly watched, with...

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