2022 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
The year is 1987, and Chiqui (Brigitte Silva) and her husband Carlos (Sebastián Beltranini) have just moved from their home in Colombia to New Jersey. The young couple will do anything that they can to achieve the American dream, including asking Chiqui’s sister, Judy (Catherine French), for guidance and support and living out of a hotel room. They will soon learn that sacrificing everything may not be enough to reach their goals, and even more sacrifice may be necessary.
Chiqui is raw and full of passion. It’s always nice to see a film developed for a genuine purpose, and not just for the money–and that’s exactly what Chiqui is, a passion project. However, beyond just the passion of what writers Carlos Cardona (who also acts as director) and Sophia de Baun bring to the table is raw honesty.
There’s an obvious language barrier that exists not just between characters in the film, but between the film and viewers as well. That language barrier can be challenging, and there were moments when I struggled to keep up with the fast-talking Chiqui. Now, I consider myself a decent reader, but the subtitles go by so quickly, and Chiqui’s titular character talks so fast that it sometimes becomes difficult to fully comprehend all that is occurring throughout Chiqui. This, in some ways, is a detriment to the film, because viewers lose some things as the film progresses. However, even though there are pieces of the film that manage to fall between the cracks as a result of the language barrier, I’m not sure that Chiqui would have been as entertaining without it. The existing barrier expresses a truth regarding the real world, and it presents viewers with an honest look at the way things can be–and I genuinely appreciate the fact that this honesty lives right at the surface of Chiqui throughout its entirety.
The American dream is something that has existed in cinema since, well, the birth of film. It’s been depicted in so many ways, and it seems never to take the exact same form. However, one thing that almost always appears to ring true in Hollywood stories of that American dream is that those in search of it often find happiness at the end–and the real struggles of the process are often omitted. Once again Chiqui adheres to a method of honesty–rather than altering reality for entertainment purposes. Chiqui and Carlos see the difficulties of becoming an American, and the hurdles they must clear in order to reach their goals–but in order for those sentiments to be accurately expressed the film’s leads must be perfect. Silva and Beltran possess a genuine talent; an ability to convey emotion in such an unequivocally honest and captivating way, and the on-screen couple never misses a beat throughout the entirety of Chiqui.
I love this film. While the story obviously resonates with immigrants of this great country, it has the potential to appeal to anyone who has ever been willing to fight for anything. For anyone who has set goals or had dreams, Chiqui possesses all the passion and reality needed for this film to resonate with you. The cinematography is brilliant as it captures the vehement nature of Silva and Beltran’s emotions and their overall performances. There is some disconnect between viewers and Chiqui, but that disconnect is intentional and well-calculated–expressing important sentiments regarding the film, but also providing viewers with a clear understanding that Cardona and de Baun are tremendously talented. Chiqui is a quick watch at just under thirty minutes, but its powerful message will stick with you forever.
Directed by Carlos Cardona.
Written by Carlos Cardona & Sophia de Baun.
Starring Brigitte Silva, Sebastián Beltranini, Catherine French, Gregg Prosser, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Comments