Rodrigo Sorogoyen's“The Beloved” Explores Father-Daughter Dynamic

(MENAFN- USA Art News) Rodrigo Sorogoyen's film“El ser querido,” also known as“The Beloved,” premiered in Cannes competition and was featured as a TIFF Special Presentation. The movie depicts a demanding director's efforts to reconnect with his estranged daughter by casting her in his latest production.

The film, written by Sorogoyen and Isabel Peña, bears a superficial resemblance to Joaquim Trier's“Sentimental Value” from last year, which also addressed a similar theme. However,“The Beloved” distinguishes itself through its style and scope, particularly by tracing its central father-daughter dynamic throughout an entire film production.

The narrative begins with a 20-minute lunch meeting between the acclaimed Spanish filmmaker Esteban Martínez, played by Javier Bardem, and his adult daughter Emilia Vera, portrayed by Victoria Luengo. Emilia is an actress working service jobs, and the offer to act in her father's film does not come as a surprise. Sorogoyen orchestrated this scene so it was the first time Bardem and Luengo met in person, despite rehearsing separately, to maintain a sense of spontaneity.

The film delves into the blurring lines between professional and personal relationships as Esteban and Emilia insist on their co-worker status, even as underlying hurt frequently surfaces on set. The movie within the movie, titled“Desert,” is a period piece set during Spanish and French colonialism in Western Sahara. Emilia sees this as an opportunity to play a character of“contradictions,” as she states.

However, the film's exploration of Spain's political and cultural past in“Desert” is not consistently linked to Esteban's personal history, an emotional thread that“The Beloved” largely abandons. Instead, Esteban's temper on set is often triggered by private conversations with Emilia, where she subtly seeks acknowledgment for his past abandonment and mistreatment. The 135-minute film received 3 out of 4 stars, indicating an intriguing, if not fully cohesive, viewing experience.

Source: Observer Arts

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