‘Ardor’ is a western that can’t break from the genre herd
Gael García Bernal plays Kaí in the film “Ardor.”
Set against the singed backdrop of a fire-swept Argentine rainforest, Pablo Fendrik’s “Ardor” is a densely atmospheric, Sergio Leone-steeped western that ultimately proves too reverential for its own good.
When a brutal band of merciless land-grabbers (led by Claudio Tolcachir) descend upon the Parana River property of a poor tobacco farmer (Chico Diaz), a mysterious tattooed stranger (Gael Garcia Bernal) comes to the aid of the doomed man’s beautiful kidnapped daughter, Vania (Alice Braga).
Venturing deeper into the thick jungle, the young photogenic pair, who last appeared together in Fernando Meirelles’ 2008 drama, “Blindness,” meticulously plot out what will be a decidedly bloody retribution.
With its posse of mean hombres, almost mystical hero and avenging angel of a heroine, the production wears its classic western attributes proudly, with odd departures into magic realism taking the form of a computer-generated tiger with whom the Bernal character is spiritually linked.
But by the end, which culminates in a “High Noon”-style showdown, Fendrik’s more socially relevant comments regarding land colonization and sustainability get plowed under all that genre posturing, and the painstakingly studied “Ardor” emerges as more arduous than inspired.
------------------
“Ardor.”
MPAA rating: R for violence, gruesome images, a scene of sexuality.
Running time: 1 hour, 44 minutes.
Playing: Laemmle’s Playhouse 7, Pasadena; Laemmle’s Music Hall 3, Beverly Hills.
Only good movies
Get the Indie Focus newsletter, Mark Olsen's weekly guide to the world of cinema.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
