Movies News Talk
One study in observation is The Freshly Cut Grass. Though it can be challenging, the slow-burning Argentinean drama has a purpose. And it's a sharp point that simply requires close attention to the details to grasp. Two agronomics professors, Natalia (Marina de Tavira) and Pablo (Joaquín Furriel), who are having affairs with their pupils, Gonzalo (Emanuel Parga) and Luciana (Verónica Gerez), respectively, reflect each other in many respects. Though The Freshly Cut Grass offers a more meaningful message than its concept, they are searching for love in their own mistaken ways.
Natalia and Pablo are not at all attached despite their work and extramarital affairs. Though their lives run parallel to each other with glaring differences, they are not pals and they do not interact. These distinctions show up in their responses to like circumstances and their treatment under the same conditions. Along with Gabriela Larralde, Lucia Osorio, and Juan Villegas, director Celina Murga co-wrote the script and deftly conveys the mundanity of daily life, enhanced by the transgressions of the individuals. Though at first the differences are not clear-cut, they develop until they cannot be disregarded.
What we have left is a narrative that, albeit about infidelity, shows the gender stereotypes that are inexorably linked to the way each of the affairs are seen. After damaging images expose their trysts, a lecture from their university's boss elicits strong emotions difficult to dismiss. As Pablo and Natalia's partners discover behind their backs, this snowballs as well. Pablo's wife, Carla (Romina Peluffo), chooses to stay whereas Natalia's husband, Hernán (Alfonso Tort), chooses to go maybe thinking, like many women do, that their marriage may heal after such a break in trust.
What we have left is a narrative that, albeit about infidelity, shows the gender roles that are inexorably linked to the way every one of the encounters is seen. After damaging images expose their trysts, a lecture from their university's boss elicits strong emotions difficult to dismiss. As Pablo and Natalia's partners discover behind their backs, this snowballs as well. Pablo's wife, Carla (Romina Peluffo), chooses to stay whereas Natalia's husband, Hernán (Alfonso Tort), chooses to go maybe thinking, like many women do, that their marriage may heal from such a loss in trust. The sadness of Hernán and Carla also plays a significant part since we observe the distance between the various couples—the glazed gaze, the absence of physical contact, the flat tone in talks. These events are meant to probe Pablo and Natalia's inner life in more depth, not to provide a justification. The more closely The Freshly Cut Grass (El fragrance del pasto recién cortado) approaches its end, the more clear the parallels and distinctions between them get. Murga gently investigates these without judgment, but with a great passion; they are like two sides of the same coin without even knowing it.
The Freshly Cut Grass would not be as good as it is without the performances of de Tavira and Furriel, of course. The plot is relatively straightforward, and there is a lot of redundancy that starts to drag the movie until it kicks back up once more, but de Tavira and Furriel never waver. Their behavior with Gonzalo and Luciana against Hernán and Carla seems like night and day.
De Tavira gives her persona freedom and brightness when she is with Gonzalo; it seems as though the weight of the earth vanishes when they are together. Her attitude with her spouse is quite different; she seems depressed, as though a marital barrier that cannot be crossed has been erected in her head. Furriel, meantime, may be stern and free-spirited, emotionally detached and charming. Playing Pablo as though he had a chip on his shoulder, he is free from responsibility while with Luciana. Every moment is deliberate, every exchange incisive; the performers and the direction express more than just what first surfaces.
Examining the complexity of relationships, adultery, and the society expectations that might mold our life, The Freshly Cut Grass is a potent and provocative film. The leisurely pace of the movie lets spectators explore the inner life of the people, seeing their wants, drives, and hardships. The movie provides evidence of the potency of understated narrative and the capacity to portray complicated emotions via nuanced actors.
Timely and pertinent are the film's themes of adultery, gender roles, and the difficulties of marriage. The Freshly Cut Grass reminds us that relationships are complex and that often the narrative goes beyond first glance. Both moving and perceptive are the film's comments on society expectations and the demands people experience in their relationships.
Directed by Celina Murga, the Martin Scorsese-produced film The Freshly Cut Grass highlights the director's capacity for universal and intimate narrative telling. Sensibly and deeply, the film's themes of adultery and the complexity of relationships are examined. The popularity of the movie at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2024 is evidence of both its caliber and audience resonance.
The Freshly Cut Grass is a film meant to inspire viewers to investigate the complexity of human emotions and experiences and beyond the obvious surface. Long after the credits have rolled, The Freshly Cut Grass will remain with you because of its potent performances, perceptive narrative, and provocative ideas.