Temblores (Spanish) [Tremors)

Religion and sexuality has been explored in many films to date and we have already seen a few versions out there. This film is slightly different in the sense that rather than focusing on the coming out process itself, it is more focussed on the repercussions of it. Whether self-identity is defined by what people are, or what they are not or by people around you? Is the fear of loss more profound than the search for love? Whether the happiness to be himself is worth the pain that will come with it? All interesting questions and lets see how well do these situations get explored.

Set in Guatemala city, Pablo is a man in 40's, a pastor and a consultant by profession (his entire family is big time into church) with a wife and kids is outed somehow that he is gay. He doesn't deny it and leaves home despite being coaxed by all his family members. He moves in with his boyfriend Francisco, a man from a very different social strata and a nurse by profession. Pablo loves his children very much and wants to see them but the family, including his parents warn him that this can happen only once he denies it all. When the family realizes that this is serious, The family uses their power to get him fired from his job, publicize him as a paedophile and have restraining orders against him for his kids and family. This leaves Pablo heartbroken and he can't decide whether he is being too selfish to think about himself while everyone else is suffering. Francisco tries his best to cheer him up, with regular parties with friends and even managing to have Pablo's help Rosa send birthday messages for their father, but its not enough for Pablo. He eventually gives into his family's ask of him to go for the gay conversion therapy provided by the church, in the hope that at least this will help him get back to him family and the kids, the people who matter to him the most. Pablo is desperate for God’s love, the redemption it promises, and the community that comes with it.

The film's title comes from the nature of natural earthquakes at the city feels at regular points. We see the very first one on the night all hell breaks loose for Pablo and his family. And of course, if we looked metamorphically, its all about how it feels like the world is trembling under your feet every time you go through difficult phases in life. The film in itself was a mix of some great parts v/s just being ordinary in my opinion. As an audience we are thrown in right in the midst of what Pablo is dealing with. The film has moved on 30 minutes by the time we realize what really the problem is and who is Francisco with whom Pablo is sharing an apartment. Pablo and him barely have any romantic moments or kisses or touches or anything at all until much much later that could make us believe they are a couple. They just had no chemistry. It was more like friends who were there for each other. I wish there was more to their back story, but I do understand and appreciate that the makers idea was to focus more on what happens after. The degree of prejudice experienced by LGBT+ individuals in daily life is never satisfactorily established. I was shocked to see the lengths the family would go to disrupt their son's life just so that they can force him to come back. I guess you never know, but it was shocking for me to see that. The film deals with things as an overall issue and in the process miss out on going into details of certain aspects. Like what will now happen with Francisco who stood every step of the way with Pablo. And the ending with the whole gay conversion therapy being completed and Pablo finding love back from the community and the family is not the ending I would expect. It does not send the right signals. Instead this is going to lead to more confusion in people's mind.

The makers wanted to deal with a sensitive issue and they do that for most part by walking around on eggshells. The deeper issues and its actions are never really looked at depth. I think an opportunity was missed here. (5/10)