Puan [Review]
Academic comedy Puan is funny and has heart while not shying away from realities in Argentina.
Image credit: Pucará Cine / Pasto
María Alché and Benjamín Naishtat’s Puan focuses on the rivalry between two philosophy professors in Buenos Aires amid the current economic meltdown. I saw the film as part of the San Diego Latino Film Festival, highlighted as part of the festival’s showcase of films from Argentina.
Marcelo Peña (Marcelo Subiotto) is a professor of philosophy, right hand man of the head of the department. His mentor dies unexpectedly, setting in motion the events of the film. While Marcelo and his colleagues are mourning, hotshot professor Rafael Sujarchuk (Leonardo Sbaraglia), who unknowingly (or knowingly) upstages Marcelo at every turn. Now the two men are in competition to be appointed head of the philosophy department.
Overall, Puan is very funny. Marcelo Subiotto’s performance is great, stirring up empathy as he plays a shy, demure man who must grow to a point where he can assert himself and be noticed outside the classroom. Leonardo Sbaraglia’s smug, self-important, aloof character is playing to a stereotype, but it works.
The film’s charm hides a subtle undercurrent of unease as we see characters’ anxiety over the economic situation in Argentina, which grows up to the film’s climax and satisfying conclusion.
If you have the opportunity to see Puan, don’t miss it.
