“The only thing that matters in life is relationships,” says Julian.
There are movies that sneak past me. I try to be as open minded as possible and never try to judge a film by its cover. I had read about “Truman” (2015) – the Spanish film that had swept the 2016 Goya Awards (Spain’s Academy Awards) – winning Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor and Best Screenplay, yet I evaded seeing it. I knew it starred my favorite Latin American actor, Ricardo Darín – the powerhouse Argentinian best known in the United States for the Oscar winning film “The Secret in Their Eyes” (2009) – and it also co-starred Javier Cámara – unforgettable in Pedro Almodovar’s “Talk to Her” and “Bad Education.” What kept me from seeing it? I had read about the subject matter – that it was about terminally ill Julian who receives an unexpected visit from his best friend in Canada – Tomas – and the two of them spend four days in Madrid putting his affairs in order. Man, was I wrong to stall! I’m urging you to do yourself a favor and see “Truman” – one of the most life-affirming movies I’ve seen in a very long time. A film that brought me to genuine tears of joy – and that not only is a master class in understatement but reminds you that sometimes in life the most beautiful things are the simplest.
Tomas and Julian have been lifelong friends – and the fact that the former lives with his wife and kids in snowy North America and the latter lives in Spain – hasn’t eroded their deeply rooted relationship. Julian has decided to stop his chemotherapy – which is only delaying the unavoidable – and wants control over the way he lives his final days. Soon after his arrival, Tomas understands he cannot talk Julian into resuming treatments and that his role is to stand by him. “Each person dies as best he can,” Julian affirms. Not much is said about their background together, but their interactions show us how they harmonize each other. Julian who is Argentinian has forged a successful career in film and theatre in Madrid – he’s an extrovert and impulsive. Tomas – a professor of science – is methodical – has always been the voice of reason, and enjoys looking after Julian. They have the banter that feels lived in and organic. They’re constantly insulting each other and being irreverent – but also have a refreshing way of expressing their affection towards one another. “What have you learned from me?” Julian asks. “From you?” Tomas answers. “Nothing, absolutely nothing… Maybe illegal things… to be brave… you’ve always faced everything squarely… Like now.”
A key component in Julian’s life is his dog Truman – an endearing bullmastiff. As he sees it he has two sons, a human one who’s studying in Amsterdam and his canine companion. It is essential that Julian finds a proper home for his dog – and the next four days will be spent interviewing candidates who will look after Truman – including a lesbian couple who have adopted a young child. Tomas will accompany his friend as he plans for his own funeral and decides to take a spur of the moment flight to Holland to have lunch with his son and meet his girlfriend.
It’s refreshing to see a love story about two straight men – and it’s handled honestly and without sentimentality. The film seems to move in a very loose fashion – as unexpectedly as Julian has led his life. It’s halfway through that we start to understand that all has been carefully shaped. There are some truly surprising turns in the story – that will make you want to watch certain scenes all over again. In Hollywood hands, this subject would have become syrupy or morbid. Director/co-screenwriter Cesc Gay makes a lucid exploration of the things you want from life as the curtain is inevitably coming down. Humor and poignancy come at you at unanticipated moments. Its ultimate impact is long lasting. The usage of Madrid and later Amsterdam is quite seductive.
Ricardo Darín and Javier Cámara are just wonderful together – never overplaying – and one of the great pleasures of “Truman” is watching them be in such perfect synch.
If you can, see “Truman” with a good friend.
Julian: “You never expect anything in return… You never want a payback… You’re generous, unlike me.”
Love,
Roger
Available to stream on Amazon Prime, Tubi, Sling TV, Vudu, Crackle and Kanopy and to rent on YouTube, iTunes and Google Play.
Written by Tomàs Aragay and Cesc Gay
Directed by Cesc Gay
Starring Ricardo Darín, Javier Cámara and Dolores Fonzi
108 minutes
Producer Marta Esteban on Casting “Truman”
“We saw big dogs, small dogs, but we couldn’t find anything and it was really stressful”, she recalls. Though being a secondary role, Truman plays a crucial part in the film: he is the red line that ties the story together, and the last problem to solve during Julián’s final days: “who is going to take care of Truman after he’s gone?”. Eventually, they found a perfect match: “He was a working dog and for once, he did cinema. His name was Troilo — he lived with autistic children, and he was the sweetest dog ever.” “The human casting also took some time, but eventually bore fruit. Since Cesc Gay had been working on the script, he always had famous Spanish actor Javier Cámara in his mind for the role of the friend. The reason was, that the director didn’t want the movie to be too dramatic, although it talks about death. “Cesc had done two movies with Javier, and thought that he had a sense of humour that was not really transcendent and provided the movie with a touch of necessary irony” said Esteban. The Catalan filmmaker had also worked with Ricardo Darín in the movie ‘A Gun in Each Hand’ (2012), and decided to send the screenplay to cast him for the first role. Marta thought: “we will never get him, he’s always working in movies and plays, so it seems impossible”. In the end, both actors accepted, and ended up embodying the human faces of the movie ‘Truman’.” (medium.com)
Esteban on the Making of “Truman”
Three wildly different cities had been chosen to film this movie: Winnipeg, Amsterdam and Madrid. “Normally we stay in Barcelona”, explains Esteban, but many of the actors lived in Madrid or had a house there. Apparently, viewers would say that they didn’t always recognize Madrid in the movie, as the frames were decided by strangers of this city. “If you don’t live there, it arouses more curiosity than it would normally do”, she argues. The second city couldn’t be an expensive capital such as London or Berlin, so they chose Amsterdam, which was entirely different and visually stunning. Finally, they needed a remote place for Julián´s friend Tomás, and decided to go to Winnipeg, in Canada: “these were all new cities for us, we had a different perspective and you can sense this throughout the movie”. (medium.com)
About Writer and Director Cesc Gay
Born in Barcelona in 1967, Cesc Gay is a director and screenwriter known for his profound observation of the characters he portrays; an observation tinged with irony and humour in his reflection of human weaknesses. The constant feature of his work is precisely this rich simplicity he so skillfully depicts through his characters: teenagers as they discover themselves, 20 year-olds in a hurry, 30 year-olds with doubts or 40 year-olds in crisis …A filmmaker who X-rays feelings from a contained, sincere and delicate point of view to demonstrate the questions that so intimately concern his generation, considered to be one of the sharpest chroniclers of the urban middle classes. A few of his films include “Hotel Room” (1998), “Krampack” (2000), “In the City” (2003), “Fiction” (2006), “V.O.S.” (2008), “A Gun in Each Hand” (2012) (europeanfilmawards.eu)