SHORT YET VERY, VERY SWEET : LA VIDA UTIL

We are still in the realm of festival films but you may be amused to find out that I kinda watched this one by mistake. The first day the tickets for the festival go on sale is always hectic, and four hours into the frenzy when I finally reached the little stands at which the tickets were being sold both I and the saleslady were so frazzled that one of us mistook the time of the séance I wanted and I ended up with a ticket for this film instead. I didn’t notice the mistake until later; it was actually supposed to be a ticket for Vive L’amour (and as you can see I later acquired a ticket for that too). Well, there was the ticket, I had the time, I had no idea what the film was about but I thought “what the heck”. The film is just over an hour long so just the right length just on the heels of Vive L’amour (I know, I do take this film thing a bit far sometimes), and despite my slightly fried brain at that moment, I thoroughly enjoyed the film…. Here’s what it’s about.
Jorge leads a quiet and useful life. For 25 years now he has worked in the Uruguay Film archives, and he loves it. Messing around with films, doing the dubbing, organizing the screenings, and presenting the archive’s radio program all have been parts of his life for 25 long years. And the archive seems not only to be an archive of films but also an archive of people as well, most of his colleagues have been working there for similar lengths of time, everyone and in fact the archive itself is part of the fixtures of life. And they like it that way. Their patrons however, think slightly otherwise. And most importantly, they think that although it may be a fixture, it’s turning into a rather expensive fixture. So when the big companies decide to stop helping the archive (in the monetary sense), the archive has no other choice but to close down… This rocks everyone’s world and not in the good sense either… Jorge, who has never done anything else and who in fact still lives with his parents, must now set about discovering the real world. Luckily however, he has the motivation to do so in the shape of Paola, a teacher and “friend”…
This film encompasses for me one of the main reasons I am so enchanted with South America. I have never been there but the artwork I have seen always contains a reminder of “the bright side”. Leaving the past behind and going out into a world you do not know can be a terrifying thing, and films I have written about in previous updates such as Norwegian Wood and Attenberg speak precisely of this side. A Useful Life doesn’t ignore the fact that this is a difficult and sad moment. On his way out of work for the last time, Jorge has tears in his eyes – much to the surprise of other passengers on the bus. He doesn’t give in however. In fact he charges forward (you will understand which scene I mean if you watch it, please take note of the soundtrack, one of the nicest little touches I have witnessed for a long time!) to take life head on. He may not be entirely ready or equipped to cope as yet, but he is going to do his utter best, woe betide anyone who stops him. I find it refreshing to see films with such positive messages. You may have hardships and find the world to be, well, far from what you consider ideal (and Jorge makes these feelings of his perfectly clear to us!) but the best thing to do is carry on and do your best to turn the whole thing around. This one got a special mention in the San Sebastian film festival and in fact was Uruguay’s Oscar® nominee. I can see why, a real little gem.