He's never written anything great. 'A Poet' turns that into something funny

Art isn’t easy, Stephen Sondheim articulated astir the originative process. Then again, if one’s chosen creation seems particularly retired of reach, beingness is nary portion of barroom either. Colombian writer-director Simón Mesa Soto’s acutely observed Cannes-recognized “A Poet” lays bare that torment with the communicative of a has-been writer for whom exquisite suffering has curdled into garden-variety middle-age failure. Given a modicum of hope, there’s ever country to marque matters worse.

There’s a wry grace to this misadventure-palooza, forged successful the cardinal of melancholic mid-career Woody Allen but with variations connected those themes which execute their ain pointedly comic clarity, particularly wherever Ubeimar Rios’ all-time portrayal of a bittersweet sack is concerned.

Decades from his prize-winning days arsenic a published young poet, Oscar (Rios) is present divorced, creatively blocked and penniless, surviving with his ailing parent (Margarita Soto), estranged from his teenage girl (Alisson Correa) and prone to crying fits of self-pity erstwhile helium isn’t drunkenly raving to anyone who volition perceive astir the atrocious authorities of the written connection successful his country. Threatened with eviction by his fed-up household unless helium takes an unfastened slot teaching poesy astatine a precocious school, Oscar swallows his pridefulness and takes the gig.

His temper changes erstwhile he’s introduced to the lyrical, honorable notebook musings of unassuming pupil Yurlady (quietly effectual newcomer Rebeca Andrade), who lives successful a cramped flat with 4 generations of family. Oscar sees a accidental to redeem himself by becoming the girl’s mentor, aiming to get her into some a celebrated poesy schoolhouse and prize-giving festival tally by his high-profile rival Efrain (a believably arrogant Guillermo Cardona). Whether Yurlady wants nationalist designation is different matter, since she’s lone ever viewed penning arsenic a backstage outlet for expression. Oscar, meanwhile, his idealism reawakened, sees an accidental for an underprivileged kid with earthy endowment to flight her meager existence.

Good intentions tally into craven expectations, however, and invariably, the types of unspeakable choices and consequences that, successful Soto’s admirably unsentimental communicative style, wouldn’t beryllium retired of spot successful either a silent-era catastrophe drama oregon a darkly tragic indie. “A Poet” is neither, though, arsenic if suspicious of sticking to 1 code erstwhile the taxable is arsenic immense arsenic art.

Hence, this nimble, propulsive movie, fixed a escaped intimacy by Juan Sarmiento’s 16mm cinematography, proves to beryllium oddly heartfelt erstwhile seemingly astir cruel astir Oscar’s hapless earnestness. (Soto’s cheeky usage of euphony is 1 clue: A bittersweet clarinet oregon jokey needle driblet is rapidly chopped disconnected earlier you person a accidental to work into its deployment.)

“A Poet” rides its question of misfit compassion truthful beautifully due to the fact that its contradictions unrecorded wrong Rios’s howling, pitiable shambles of a character, who astatine times looks similar idiosyncratic sketched by a cynical animator but finished by a sympathetic colorist. That you’re ne'er wholly definite if Oscar is going to beryllium the big oregon the kid successful immoderate fixed country creates a wonderfully comic tension. It’s 1 of the champion performances of this past twelvemonth and if Rios ne'er acted again, it’d beryllium a one-off for the ages, perfectly encapsulated successful the strange, forced, teary half-smile of Oscar that closes this singular movie similar an inky smudge connected a passionately scribbled archetypal draft.