Que tan Lejos (2006)

A friend of mine recently gave me Andrew Sarris' The American Cinema and within the first several pages, Sarris discusses the idea of "forest and trees" cinema theory.  In this he states, that not all films are bad - as someone writing about cinema must realize that not all full parts make the whole unbearable.  A director may have focused less one one character, the story may have been lacking in detail, or the editing may have failed effortlessly, but the rest did shine greatly.  With my most recent outing, these words seem to fall directly into this film's line-of-sight.  Que tan Lejos (aka How Much Further), directed by first time auteur Tania Hermida, is a genuinely sweet film.  A road movie in every since of the genre, it is the story of two random strangers - one just wanting to tour Ecuador, while the younger on the hunt to stop her semi-boyfriend from marrying a stranger - as they journey, and journey, and journey in what amounts to two to three days, for an unfulfilled ending.

What begins with fast dialogue, characters that are intriguing, and a vast open road, quickly turns into an adventure overload with the quest overpowering the actors.  We, as audience members, want them to see their final destination, and while the Ecuadorian countryside is breathtakingly exciting, we find ourselves wanting more from our central characters vs. just gorgeous scenery.  Then adding to this mix, Hermida adds a third traveler (and a .75 of another) that completely obliterates the chance to further develop an emotional tie with our first two women, Esperenza and Tristeza.  It was this connection that I was hoping to nourish throughout this journey, but instead the lack of focus, perhaps merely just fresh (and still wet) behind the camera hindered this dream.  Instead of character development, we are caught with scenes of our two characters sleeping, staring into space, and honestly, just annoying one another.  That translates off the screen as well.  

I liked Hermida's vision, and this should have been a stronger film than presented.  Our two mains were decent actors (Hermida focusing more on our running wanna-be-bride than traveler), but the inclusion of more actors - Jesus and his ashes - just routed the focus away, when it should have been pointed inward.  I think there were also problems with actual "film-time", like bullet-time, this is when our characters give us a time they need to be at the destination, and unless you pay careful attention, you realize that it takes twice as long, yet destination is arrived just in time.  The ending, ultimately, fails.  A combination of not enough time with our leads and a goal that get muddied early on, the ending just remains bland.  No emotion, no character realization, no "ah-ha" moment that makes us feel happiness/sadness/anger/excitement for the future, Hermida had given up, or was unsure how to end this road movie.  It shows, and hurts the groundwork started.  Again, this was a sweet movie.  There were moments that will make you feel like traveling to Ecuador, but like the Hermida showed in every time, all the streets of major cities, and nearly every location in Ecuador - the film Que tan Lejos just felt empty.  

Where were all the people?

Found in my TCM International Film Guide 2008 edited by Haydn Smith, there wasn't a review for this film.  It was found in the Ecuador section (surprise!), and here is what Smith had to say:

"There was also the 'discovery' of an untapped sector: an audience of Ecuadorian films.  Seen for the most part only in festivals, and mostly unknown outside the country's frontiers, the breakthrough success of Tania Hermida's road movie, How Much Further? (Que tan lejos?), in both Ecuador and Spain brought hope for the development of a national film industry.  The film, seen in a handful of Spanish art-house cities, was a phenomenon.  It premiered in art-house theatres completely unprepared by the thousands of Ecuadorian migrants who turned up with their families to 'see' Ecuador.  According to official statistics there are more than two million Ecuadorians living abroad.

Overall, while "sweet" sometimes changes the feelings of this viewer, ultimately it was just mediocrity that it settled towards.

Mark:  Pink.  Ecuador is beautiful, this film can be forgotten again.