After working as an editor, screenwriter, photographer, and, of course, director, Hernan Rosselli arrives at the Cannes Director’s Fortnight with his third feature film, and second fiction one.
In 2014, his debut feature Mauro captivated the Rotterdam Film Festival in the Bright Future Competition (FIPRESCI PRIZE), and in 2018, his second film, the documentary Casa Del Teatro (focused on an institution for retired performing artists), had been presented at BAFICI (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente).
With Mauro, Rosselli had already depicted characters constantly struggling to survive, as the possibility of a better life seems to only be attainable through unconventional and illegal means from the margins of the society they inhabit. Rosselli had demonstrated the ability to construct a gritty film, immersed in sordid environments yet still filled with great affection for his characters. Above all, he had shown a knack for delving into a kind of suburban genre that is almost a separate subgenre within contemporary Argentine cinema, a theme revisited in this film presented at Cannes.
Something Old, Something New, and Something Borrowed narrates the underground betting business that the Felpetos family has been running from the outskirts of Buenos Aires for decades. In a pivotal moment, following Hugo’s death, the family structure has shifted from patriarchal to matriarchal, as Maribel and Alejandra, mother and daughter, have taken over the family business. They strive to keep it afloat despite adversities, amidst a thickening atmosphere in the neighborhood, with new competitors, police raids, and looming threats.
The film unfolds as a blend of inspirations from The Sopranos and Goodfellas, portraying the daily life and dynamics within the family, and the risks of the betting game, all while navigating a constant back-and-forth between the present and the memory of the past and the love story between the Felipetos spouses, unfolding alongside their work throughout the years.
This is achieved with a compelling style that merges the present fiction with found footage of memories through family films. These elements make the film immediate and authentic, constructing a pseudo-documentary setting despite not being one. The footage belongs to the lead actress, who is the director’s real childhood neighbor, and her family willingly became bookmakers in the cinematic universe of Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, a title referencing the marriage between the Felipetos.
The film presents itself as a low-fi crime drama, captivating with its realistic settings and immediate nature, whereas family secrets surface, a mystery unfolds for which the director provides conflicting clues. Individual memories intertwine with the country’s history in this film that breaks conventions and patterns to paint the rise and fall of a family’s golden era.
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