Krampack (Spanish) [Nico And Dani]

This film is a very sweet story about two teenage boys who frequently engage in "Krampack" which is apparently Spanish slang for masturbation. It is about sexual awakening in the teenage years focussing on best friends Nico and Dani. A key is that the title characters are not sleazy party animals, taking advantage of women and not thinking twice about it, but sensitive and confused. Without guidance, reasoning is tough for them...especially because they are searching for who they really are, which means also coming to terms with their sexuality.

Dani is spending his summer at his parents beach house. When his parents have to leave for work, his friend from grade school Nico comes to visit him like every summer. At the house, he is tutored by Sonia, a young woman and Marianne who comes to cook the food. Nico and Dani who have been the best of friends have resorted to the "krampack" to relieve their sexual frustrations in the absence of girls to sleep with. Dani is perfectly happy with this arrangement, and indeed is looking forward to continuing it with Nico. Nico, on the other hand, is looking forward to moving on to experiences with girls. They meet Berta and Elena, 2 girls who come there every summer. Nico is clearly more interest din the girls and wants to score with them but Dani on the other side is not so interested. Dani wants to push the limit a little further with Nico but jealousy soon takes over when he sees that Nico is clearly more interested in Elena than Dani. To further complicate things, Dani strikes up a friendship with Julian, a handsome young writer in town for the summer to whom he is mutually attracted, although both are a little uncomfortable about Dani's youth. Finally Nico does manage to score with Elena who tells him very candidly that this sonly a one time thing since she already has a boyfriend. Dani's experiences with Julian finally teaches him that he has much more to learn and accept about himself and the fact that just because he like Nico, it cannot force Nico to like him in the same way.
Through affairs, misunderstandings, and a disastrous dinner party, the story moves along to an inevitable, yet satisfying conclusion.

This film is warm and entertaining and a sensitive and respectful meditation on human sexuality and human development. The acting, setting of the film, chemistry between the two friends is very real and natural. It is so refreshing to see this film, specially after you have seen similar them attempts by a American films which fall flat compared to this one. In Nico and Dani no judgments are ever made, no sensitivities hidden or prejudices espoused, just the sincere and objective exploration of the human condition shown as natural as it occurs in life. There is no real sadness or depression, just a normal struggle to find one's own self. Both the characters are well defined. I so loved the fact the friendship remained in tact. The scenes between the 2 boys can so mutiliate a friendship but with some maturity level that the boys possessed, they end up remaining the close friends they were and at the same time realizing and accepting things about themselves that they dared not before.

It's a fresh, happy little film, well photographed and the subject matter intelligently handled. (7.5/10)