The Un Certain Regard section is the second most significant section of the Cannes Film Festival. It presents rising directors who already have a presence in world cinema. It is the case of Un Poeta (A Poet), directed by Simón Mesa Soto. The Colombian filmmaker presented his last film, Amparo, in the Semaine de la Critique (Critics Week), a sidebar section of the festival. In A Poet, the director narrates the story of Oscar (Ubeimar Rios), a failed poet in Colombia. When he was younger, he won an award for his poetry book. However, his career and personal life have derailed since then. He lives with his mother and has a terrible relationship with his daughter, Daniela. Everything changes when he starts teaching philosophy in a high school and meets Yurlady (Rebeca Andrade). She is a talented young writer who lives in difficult conditions in the Colombian slums. Oscar decides to help thrive and finally progress in his life.
The film has a four-chapter structure. Each one is a complete cycle on Oscar’s trajectory. The first, the failure, is a tragicomical portrayal of his failure. He cannot reach his goals, and he spends the nights in the city streets drinking with drunks and sleeping with the streetwalkers. The grainy 16mm cinematography by Juan Sarmiento G. employs a visual sense of a worn-out life. Oscar is a man in his middle age who spends his time discussing poetry with alcoholics. The dramatic force lies in the brilliant performance by Ubeimar Rios, who physically deepens his character. His face is constantly confused, and his back is arched. Looking closely at his body in a general framing, we learn so much about him. Life has put plenty of weight on his back, and his body transmits that.
Rios’s body language is an elemental factor for the most successful aspect of the film: the comedy. The character is constantly in cringey situations that end in comical moments. In most moments, the comedy relies on bodily humor to infuse laughs, and it works most of the time. In Magnum Opus and Art Will Save Us, the second and third chapters, the director constructs a fascinating character arc. Finally, Oscar finds his purpose through his mentoring of Yurlady. However, his nonsense leads to the most hilarious sequences of the film. At the same time, Mesa Soto approaches relevant topics, such as growing older, purpose, and parenting. Still, the directing incorporates comedy to deepen the sense of absurdity in his decisions. The whole scene of the poetry festival opening party is hilarious and confrontational. The director invites us to reflect on the elitism present in artistry, especially in Latin America. Poetry is an art for the few, even though there is a rich literature on the continent. But Mesa Soto emphasizes how artistry is an opening door to access for the poorer layers of society. Yurlady is not interested in becoming a professional poet, but this activity allows her to put food on the table.
The most engaging achievement of Un Poeta is the balanced discussion on art and the comedy of a failed man. He is a lover of poetry and the biggest supporter of the Colombian Poet José Asunción Silva. He has a portrait of Asunción Silva on his wall, and it is almost an amulet for him. When he feels depressed, even suicidal, he takes a deep breath and looks at the picture. Yet, in the first chapter, Efraim (Guillermo Cardona), a successful colleague of Oscar, tells him that he will not receive acclaim after his death, which was the case for Silva. Oscar reflects on his work, the written, and the mentoring. In this sense, the film delivers the best subplot possible for a complex and nuanced character in Oscar. He wants to be a successful poet and a good father. At the end, he may never reach both of his goals. Therefore, Mesa Soto delivers a memorable character who always falls short of his objectives.
Ultimately, Simón Mesa Soto thrives in delivering a dramatic comedy about failure and artistry. The brilliant work by Ubeimar Rios elevates an already outstanding material. It also features a fabulous debut performance from Rebeca Andrade, portraying a girl who wants to express herself and help her family. But being a poet is Oscar’s dream, not hers. Their chemistry on the screen delivers some of the funniest and heartbreaking moments.
Alongside the casting, Juan Sarmiento G. thrives in framing the bittersweetness of this story. The cinematography captures the tragic and the hilarious with the same magnificence. After all, Simón Mesa Soto shows his talent and potential with Un Poeta, an equally funny and sad tale of finding success.
Un Poeta recently played at the Cannes Film Festival.
Learn more about the film at the Cannes site for the title.
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