Jump to the good stuff: The Story | Some Thoughts | The Final Verdict
The Story:
The Strong Ones is a romantic drama about a graduate student who falls in love with a fisherman.
Lucas (Samuel González) travels to the small coastal town of Neible, Chile to visit his sister, Catalina (Marcela Salinas), before moving on to Montreal for his postgraduate studies. After Lucas gets settled in, he sees Antonio (Antonio Altamirano) unloading wood from the back of his truck and helps. They exchange a few words, then Antonio drives off.
Later that evening, Lucas runs into Antonio at a bar. They talk and hang out, then Antonio drives him back to his sister’s house. Before getting out of the truck, they exchange glances and then kiss. As Lucas walks inside, he overhears an argument between Catalina and her boyfriend, Martin (Rafael Contreras). Lucas goes upstairs to change, and Martin mentions to Catalina that he’s not doing what he wanted with his life so that he can be with her. He then asks if she wants to be with him, to which she doesn’t respond.
As Lucas and Antonio continue to see each other, Antonio refuses the advances of a friend with benefits, Roca (Nicolás Corales). Initially, Roca doesn’t understand why Antonio is being distant, then realizes that Antonio and Lucas are dating and becomes jealous.
As Lucas and Antonio grow closer, Lucas must decide between furthering his education or being with Antonio.
Some Thoughts:
While The Strong Ones is well made, there’s not enough tension to get the viewer fully invested. Roca seems the obvious choice to cause some drama, but that doesn’t happen. Also, his relationship with Antonio is barely explored. It’s a shame because a lot is made of Roca’s sexual advances when they’re alone.
While Lucas and Antonio keep their relationship hidden, the lack of response from the people in town, and Roca’s lack of troublemaking, makes it all feel a bit too easy. I get that Lucas has to choose between moving ahead with his life or being stagnant to be with the man he loves, but it isn’t enough to build the emotional investment expected from a romantic movie.
The film looks good, the acting is decent, and the story is well paced. Everything has a natural feel, from the situations to the dialogue, so it’s a shame that the viewer can’t get more involved with the characters.
The Final Verdict:
Despite having a good cast and script, The Strong Ones falls short when it comes to getting the viewer emotionally invested. The plot flows well, but the end feels a bit humdrum.