Director/Writer: Ana Piterbarg
Starring: Viggo Mortensen, Soledad Villamil, Daniel Fanego, Sofia
Gala, Javier Godino
Plot: After being part of
the murder of a local man, a cancer-stricken Pedro (Mortensen) flees his rural
home in order to find his doctor brother, Agustin (also Mortensen), and
hopefully get some help. After Agustin kills his brother (somewhat out of anger
and compassion to save Pedro from dying slowly and painfully from cancer) he
takes his identity and goes back to Pedro’s rural shack in hope of starting a
new life and writing all his brother’s wrongs.
When an actor completely subverts
their star persona the result(s) can be either eye-opening or gravely
disastrous. Viggo Mortensen is not regularly associated with one genre or
character type though it’s still a wonder as to how he decided to adopt the
Spanish language for his latest film, Everybody
Has a Plan. His part in the film is (true to form) excellent however it’s
enveloped in a mediocre story that is entirely forgetful.
Chances of this film succeeding
without the Lord of the Rings and History of Violence star are minimal as
it offers nothing beyond the odd story of an identity swap and criminal
activity. The story sounds interesting enough but it’s a banal series of events
that occur in the narrative, erasing all intrigue and attention.
The cast are all adept, Mortensen
especially, and attempt to flesh out their one-dimensional characters as much
as they can. Mortensen can hold the film by his own but it’s nice to see others
getting opportunity; sadly the only cast member allowed that within the script
is Sofia Gala’s Rosa – Agustin’s love interest once he enters the marshy
landscape of Tigre. The villain, Adrian (appealingly brought to life by Daniel
Fanego), could lift this film out of the figurative mud but he gets very little
screen time.
Perhaps with a lot more work Everybody Has a Plan could have been
something great. The environment, dark, damp and dangerous is a richly textured
setting that could have been explored to a degree. Odd side-plots that try and
distract you from the tedious story should have been replaced with greater
attention to the leading characters. The film almost becomes a warning for
actors not to tread foreign waters and whilst this should not be the case it is
worryingly apparent.
**
By Piers McCarthy. Also posted on LiveForFilms
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