MAGICAL GIRL
(2014, Vermut)
"And what are bullfights? The representation of the struggle between instinct and technique, between emotion and reason. We must accept our instincts and to learn to struggle with them as if they were a bull, so that they do not destroy us."
There is indeed an interesting contrast between the finesse and technique of a bullfighter, and the relentless and angry bull that charges at him with nothing more than instinct. The bullfighter dances, the bull lunges. More often than not, the bullfighter succeeds in avoiding the attacks of the bull. But sometimes... the technique, the finesse, the reason fails, and the instinct that we tried so hard to dance around and toy with succeeds in destroying us. That is a snapshot of what happens to most of the characters in this Spanish film
Magical Girl follows three separate characters, each with different instincts, emotions, and struggles. There is Luis (Luis Bermejo), the unemployed teacher that is determined to buy an expensive anime dress for her terminally ill daughter. Then there is Bárbara (Bárbara Lennie), the mysterious and enigmatic woman that seems to be recovering from something while trapped in a problematic marriage. Finally, we have Damián (José Sacristán), a former teacher that seems to be suffering the consequences of letting his instincts take over.
The film presents the three storylines separately, but eventually converges them in a tragic collision course where reason fails and instincts succeed. Directed and written by Carlos Vermut, he uses a cold and distant approach to the camera, but does so with undeniable skill. There is a careful selection of what to show, when to show it, and how to show it, which heightens the tension and builds the atmosphere of dread that surrounds every character, where you're sure no one will probably succeed.
Much like the bullfighter, Vermut uses his technique to dance around certain moments on the film while toying with certain revelations. The restraint he shows to avoid the desire to explain too much or show too much is impressive. This is the first film of his I've seen, but I'm sure I will try to check out more of his work.
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