El Crítico (2013)

January 15 2015

Written and Directed by Hernán Gerschuny

Winner of Gramado Film Festival

Storyline:

Tellez, a movie critic, is divorced, lives in a bad apartment and doesn't believe in cinema anymore. After Gorodisch offers him a job as screenwriter, his life turns into a cliché.

Main Characters:

TELLEZ - (hero)
SOFIA (goddess)
PINNI (goddess)
GORODISCH (mentor)
LEO (villain)

Milestones (FIRST ACT):

Ordinary World: Tellez is a movie critic who is sick of watching films. Nothing is worth watching according to him. He lives in a bad apartment and needs more money to pay the bills. His boss insists that he writes a positive review soon.
Meeting the Mentor/Call to Adventure (00:08:30): Gorodisch offers Tellez a check for 10 scenes of screenplay written by him.
Making Allies (00:13:00): Tellez has to spend time with Pinni, your sister's daugther. They talk a lot about Cinema.
Making Enemies(00:23:00): Tellez after the movies goes with other critics to a Café where they meet Leo. He is a director who received a bad review from Tellez and now wants revenge. The meeting with Leo is a trigger to Tellez be hooked by the adventure. Leo says to him that is easier to criticize than to produce.
Hook (00:25:00): Tellez starts writing his screenplay.

Milestones (SECOND ACT):

Crossing the First Threshold:
Making Enemies (00:29:00): Tellez finds the perfect place to buy but he meets Sofia who buys the apartment before him.
Making Enemies (00:32:00): Tellez's boss changes his review. He agrees to publish Tellez's version but warns him that if he doesn't write positive reviews he would lose his job.
Set of Trials (00:37:00): Tellez sees Sofia in a cab and follows her. He goes to the theater with her and meets Leo at the after-party.
Meeting the Goddess (00:43:00): Tellez sees Sofia dancing in slow-motion. He dreams with her in black and white, satnding in the balcony behind the curtains.
Love in the Underworld (00:47:00): Tellez meets Sofia and she takes him to a ship. They talk about their lives, they kiss and fireworks light up in the sky behind them. They go to his apartment and make love.
Crossing the Second Threshold (00:59:00): Tellez seems to be falling in love with Sofia. They spend the days together, he teaches her about cinema. After they meet his ex-wife she runs away from him. He runs after her and confess his love.
Temptation (01:00:00): Tellez is looking for a lighter in Sofia's purse. He takes the opportunity to look into her stuff. He writes about her, Gorodisch likes and asks for more. Tellez starts to follow Sofia around and to investigate her life.
Crossing the Second Threshold (01:08:00): For the first time in years, Tellez feels something watching a film. He cries and writes a corny review about it.
Belly of the Whale (01:12:00): Colleagues of Tellez mock about him after his review is published. Sofia listens to a voice massage of Gorodisch about her character and gets upset with Tellez for being used by him. Tellez receives the news that Pinni is in the hospital. He makes a visit and she explains to him about her boyfriend, Leo.
The Inmost Cave (01:19:00): Tellez calls Leo and they meet at the movie theater. Tellez is alone in the dark and Leo in the projection room. Leo confesses his plan and admits to love Pinni.
Resurrection and Elixir (01:25:00): Tellez advices Leo to ask Pinni for forgiveness. Tellez runs to the airport to make Sofia stay in Argentina. However she decides to go anyway.
Making Enemies: The detectives go to Lou's apartment in order to have a talk with him.
The Ultimate Boon (01:30:00): Tellez explains to Gorodisch why the end must be sad and he receives a call about the apartment of Sofia, that is again available.

Milestones (THIRD ACT):

Reward/Freedom to Live: (01:32:00): Tellez goes back to the apartment of Sofia. The place is completely empty except for her bike and pink helmet.

Final Feedback:

For the first time I wrote the timecode of each milestone. I think it works fine and from now on I will do it as much as possible. This way it is easier to have a overview of the structure and how each point is fundamental connected to others.

I had a hard time to define where the second threshold really is. Therefore I highlighted two sequences 10 minutes apart from each other.

I also couldn't find a Atonement with the Father situation.