Louise Bindon Although I only saw the second half of this film, the first thing that pulled me in were the stills of the buildings of Buenos Aires. I love cities, and I find the (still) shots very calming and satisfying. There was a sort of poetry to these shots, showing us angles and points of view we never normally look for, and the soft-voiced narration that accompanied them made me fall in love. It made me realize how little time I spend looking up/around when I'm down town. I got the impression that the characters were very genuine. The actors had a fantastic, very down to earth way of expressing the multiple emotions throughout this film. It wasn't stuffy, and they didn't waste time trying to make themselves look good; they focused on the emotion. I sympathized with them, and it didn't feel strained at all. Even though it was filmed in a different part of the world and in a different language, I believe many aspects of this story are easy to relate to for anyone who has fallen in love, believes in fate, or struggles with barriers (literal and figurative) in their life. There is not a large amount of actual dialogue between characters,which adds to the disconnected feeling of barriers, and is quite refreshing. The script is charming and quirky, with a subtle wit to keep the movie up. It is definitely a film you need to be fully awake for; it is the equivalent of coming across a particularly difficult "Where Is Waldo?". You look over the exact same areas again and again and again, but you keep getting lost in the imagery. Like Mariana, we all find our Waldo one day. Medianeras is an urban fairy tale for people who believe in love. Keep on chanting, those of who bear your hearts on your sleeves. Wear them proudly. This film is dedicated to you.

jotix100 The big city attract many people, who once living within them, are repelled by circumstances as they retreat into their own little worlds. That seems to be the case of Martin and Mariana who suffer from phobias and only seem to come alive in their respective small apartments. Martin, a web designer, discovered the internet only to become a prisoner of it, never wanting to go out. Mariana, on the other hand, ventures out to her job as window dresser for a store, and to her swimming sessions, but only feels good being home in her cramped apartment.Martin and Mariana pass each other out in the street. No wonder, they live almost next to one another in buildings whose windowless facades face one another. One day they both feel like putting windows so they might get sunshine in their living spaces. The change they experience translate in looking outside to the throngs in the streets. Mariana has always loved a book where the main character is lost in the crowd and the object of looking at it is to find him. With the new window, Mariana is surprised to find her hero one day and that happens to be Martin.A wonderful story by Argentine director Gustavo Taretto, who expanded his 2005 original short film of the same title. His story has a lot to do with the architecture of Buenos Aires, which he examines at the start of the film. Mr. Taretto loves the contrast between the old and the new, but clearly is in awe of the old Corina Kavannagh building, a classic Buenos Aires building still standing which holds a particular love story as the inspiration for being erected.Javier Drolas, who was seen in the original short story again shows up as Martin. Pilar Lopez De Ayala appears as Mariana. She fares better since nothing much is asked of Mr. Drolas in the way of acting. Ms. Lopez is wonderful in the way she focuses on her character. Ines Efron, another talented actress is a welcome addition to the film.The city as a metaphor for the characters' loneliness is lovingly photographed by Leandro Martinez and the music score was the work of Gabriel Chwojnik. The talented Mr. Taretto shows a keen insight in the souls of Martin and Mariana.

secondtake Sidewalls (2011)A wonderful, heartwarming, smart and funny film. Anyone would like this, so see it.Two lonely young people in two nearby apartments in Buenos Aries are everything in this fairy tale feel good romance. A romance where the two characters have never met. The city is lovingly brought to life through its buildings, most of them ordinary big city buildings much like the two characters are ordinary inhabitants. And the title, sidewalls (which is medianeras in Spanish for this home-grown Argentine movie), refers to the tall and often windowless side facades of the structures, including many apartment buildings, including the two where our hero and heroine reside.So what goes on? You see the almost painfully lonely lives of two really likable people, wishing they could somehow meet. They have similar interests, they live near to each other, and they are both looking for love. Small things happen in the movie, little asides, but really the whole things is just this gradual accumulation of expectation. They really should meet, somehow, cross paths and recognize their parallel needs. The audience is totally convinced they are perfect for each other.If only life would comply.Director Gustavo Taretto, who also wrote the sly monologues and voiceovers for the movie (there is almost no dialog), originally made this as a short in 2005, running at half an hour, and it got rave reviews and won a slew of awards. So it was expanded here, and somehow it doesn't seem stretched too long even though the idea is the same (and the same lead actor was used, with a different lead actress). If there is any drawback to the movie, however, it is a slowly growing feeling that there is just this one clever situation at hand and it needs to resolve, or end, or something, to keep the incredible magic of the first half going.Not that it exactly flags. The fairytale aspects get slightly improbable (as fairy tales do) by the last half hour, but it's exactly what you need. And then it's done, a fun and funny gem. It fits into a category of independent features worldwide using small casts, young actors and simple bright ideas. This is one of the best.

gregking4 The opening night film for the 2011 La Mirada Film Festival was the romantic drama Medianeras (aka Sidewalls), the debut feature from writer/director Gustavo Tarreto, who has made a lot of short films in his native Argentina. Medianeras is based on his own award winning 2005 short film, and tells the story of Martin and Mariana, two people living in separate apartments within the same block in Buenos Aires. They are unaware of each other's presence, even though they occasionally cross paths during their busy days. But it takes a chance connection to bring them together. The film superbly captures that sense of isolation and loneliness of living in a thriving metropolis. It also explores those random connections that can change a person's life. However, the film starts slowly with a dry lecture on architecture and the role it plays in shaping the rhythm and life of a city. It has been evocatively shot by cinematographer Leandro Martinez, and it develops a nice rhythm eventually. The central cast featuring Pilar Lopez de Ayala and Javier Drolas is also attractive. However, this slow paced drama is a little frustrating at times, and is an odd choice for opening night as it lacks any sort of grand cinematic moments.