Between the Italian giallo and the Buenos Aires of the 80s, we lived the night of the premiere of Hotline with Magui Bravi at the Gaumont
June 18. Hotline premiered at the Gaumont. own Magui Bravi invites us to participate in the premiere. The rain falls on the cold night of Buenos Aires. Retiro is crowded with people who come and go and in Florida, despite the weather, you hear change, change as the steps advance. The city, without a doubt, presents an ideal day to go to the movies.
10 p.m. The wind and the cold do not stop. Anyway, a group of people are getting ready at the Gaumont Cinema to enjoy a film that we could describe as a psychological thriller with horror and slasher elements.
Magui arrives with a very striking dress, an impeccable look for the occasion, accompanied by a cover-up and a very Belle Époque aesthetic. As the main protagonist and producer, it couldn't be any other way.
After the corresponding greetings we received a small souvenir, a nice gesture that adds up. We had the pleasure of taking the required photos with part of the Hotline team and genre film enthusiasts. There was even someone wearing a Jason mask attracting attention. It is important to support this type of films and Argentine cinema in general, there are many people working behind it, many universes that revolve around these productions, many ideas, effort and desire, especially in a difficult time for the national industry. ( See note to Magui Bravi )
Once in the room, a brief presentation of the members before the start of the film in this INCA space. Demián Salomón was missing, who would join during the presentations. The atmosphere was pleasant among friends and moviegoers, the lights went out to make way for the movie.
The look on hotline
The first scenes immediately show that there is an at least intriguing story, from minute one you get into the film and the era. There is an attention to detail that shows in every aspect of the production. The shots, the locations, the photography, the costumes and a set design full of details – tube televisions, radios searching for frequencies and everyday objects of the time – help to build a credible and immersive atmosphere.
Also the soundtrack that combines original compositions by Marcelo Bórmida with classics of the time, constantly reinforcing the feeling of being trapped in that nocturnal Buenos Aires of the late 80s.
All of this builds a large part of the film's identity and provides a framework for the development of very well-made characters, something that is not always easy to achieve in independent productions. Hotline demonstrates that with a clear vision and a committed team it is still possible to build solid cinematographic worlds within Argentine cinema.
Malena, the heart of Hotline
Set in Buenos Aires at the end of the 80s, the protagonist's performance undoubtedly stands out. Magui Bravi, playing Malena, a dancer with dreams of being a writer, with a difficult and oppressive past, who divides her day dancing in a cabaret at night and answering an erotic phone line during the day, we could say the OnlyFans of the 80s, bridging the gap.
Malena is not just trying to survive; He also seeks to write and build his own identity, a detail that gives depth to a character who could have been reduced to the stereotype of the victim. Her routine changes when she receives a call from an apparent serial killer who warns her that she will be next.
Aesthetics and references
Between neon lights, warm reds and cold saturated blues, the film revolves around the Italian giallo and a dark detective story from the 80s. hotline, Demián Salomón plays a shadowy detective who helps investigate the case in a well-achieved role. In a personal sense, the police scenes took me back to The Rookie (The Beginner) although it is action, due to that aesthetic of dark bars, neon lights and hardened detectives typical of the cinema of the late 80s and early 90s, where there is also a strong and sensual woman, although villainous, and aerial shots of the city.
Another performance that stands out is that of María Eugenia Rigón like Iris, with an aesthetic that refers to Jem but of the Buenos Aires night, which sets the light, almost humorous tone that relaxes the plot, to the audience and to the character of Magui, who at all times conveys the appearance of not being in the present but rather trapped between her past and the ringing of the red telephone that represents the latent threat.
The only moments in which he seems to disconnect from that tension are when he listens to music or when he dances, since even in front of the typewriter he seems to release that tension. Music is another protagonist, maintaining the climate of tension when it appears in the plot and the eighties dynamics.
Reading and context
Behind the tribute to genre cinema there also appears a reflection on the violence that affects women, a topic that the film places in the 80s but which continues to be disturbingly current.
They complete the cast Pablo Pinto, German Baudino, Ezequiel Rodriguez, Dario Levy and Agustín Olcese, with libretto Nicanor Loreti and Paula Manzone. The director Lucas Nicotti builds a staging that privileges atmosphere over shock effect.
Final evaluation of the film
The film has all the ingredients to be a memorable film, there is tension, horrendous deaths, a killer with a helmet and a shocking size, erotic scenes typical of films of that time.
In fact, Magui Bravi does a memorable striptease in a scene that inevitably reminded me of the incomparable Demi Moore, but with the addition of being 100% Argentine and I dare say it. The comparison may seem ambitious, but from the essence of the character, Malena gives everything, it is her moment of power. Magui holds the scene with skill, presence, sensuality and a confidence that refers to those great figures of cinema from the late 80s and early 90s. Not for nothing did he receive awards for Best Actress at the Stockholm City Film Festival and the London Women Film Festival.
The feeling it gives is that of those films that after going through the cinemas, for those who are from the video store generation, when you were going to rent a VHS, you were often guided by the cover and a brief synopsis or the recommendation of the person who ran the store. And without a doubt they are those films that make you want to see more than once.
I still don't know why it's not in Him. Cairo Cinema Rosario, the poster would go perfect with the neon lights on your billboard. I am sure that this film will soon reach some platform, in any case, I recommend that you go see it at the cinema, they are those films that, due to how well-crafted their image is, are to be enjoyed on the big screen. It's worth seeing, you can see that behind it there was work, risk and passion.
Critical closure and conclusion
If I had to make a criticism it would be the duration, I think it does not allow the full potential of the film to be developed, it is understandable due to budget, time and especially considering that it was intended as a series and adapted to this format. And perhaps also the lack of any more chase or stalking scenes with the murderer. Anyway, the film works, the tension revolves around the ringing of the landline, the threats and the crude murders.
And if a second part were ever considered - because there is material - some characters who did not survive our masked killer would be missed, unless it is a prequel. What is clear is that Malena has vulnerability, but she is not a submissive woman, she is a strong, sensual, feminine and strong woman.
Calificación Multipase: ★★★★☆ (8.5/10)
