Solo (Spanish) [Alone]

This film so much reminded of this hindi film "Kaun" that I had seen years back. It depends on your perspective of whether the 2 movies are in any way similar to each other or are poles apart but if you are a reader who also happened to have seen the film, then you would know what similarities I am talking about in the basic plot line. "You never know who are inviting home. Also you never know, whose home you are going to."

Manuel is a very handsome 27 year old furniture designer. One night bored alone at his home, he meets Julio on a chat room and next thing you know is that Manuel invites him home. The sexual sparks are ignited at once and they both stet sharing stories from their past. It is their collective problems with intimacy, trust and the fear of being hurt that make them hesitant to commit fully. Manuel tells the story of his ex-boyfriend, whom he was totally in love with and who ended up picking another young guy over him, thereby destroying his trust in every relationship. After a sex session, when Julio literally forces himself to stay over, you get a feeling that Julio is trouble and  Manuel is in danger. This fact gets multiplied when Julio keeps asking how much money does Manuel have for them to start a new fresh life away from everything and everyone because they both now think they are completely and utterly in love with each other. Tables soon turn, when a shock is waiting for Julio. He quickly finds out from the horses mouth himself, how with little of his own interpretation of the story, Manuel had completely distorted the truth and how shocking and dangerous the reality actually is. Who is being truthful, who is real, and who truly loves the other?

I have to admit that initially I thought that the film was moving at a very moderate pace and needed some steam because this could easily have been a stage play. But the length of the film made it up up for it. the film is sexy in all right moments and thrilling and exciting in others. The 2 boys keep going on back n forth and as a viewer you keep struggling on who to trust and whom not and I think this is where this small film succeeds. Julio and Manuel break-up and makeup in equal measure and we just sit and wait for that main twist to hit us. The dialogues are smarty used to show how both men are essentially just yearning for love but expecting two totally different things. The acting is wonderful by both the principal actors. Sure you may feel that a lot of time is spent on intimacy, kisses and future talks, but that was necessary in this case to completely shock the audience.

The play between the 2 men will keep you guessing. (6.5/10)