FRESHLY CUT GRASS, THE
(director/writer: Celina Murga; screenwriters: Juan Villegas, Lucio Osorio; cinematographer: Lucio Bonelli; editor: Manuel Ferrari; music: Luciano Supervielle, Gabriel Chwojnik; cast: Marina de Tavira (Natalia), Joaquín Furriel (Pablo), Alfonso Tort (Hernan), Romina Peluffo (Carla), Emanuel Parga (Gonzalo), Verónica Gerez (Luciana), Romina Bentancur (Sonia); Runtime: 114; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: Juan Vilegas, Celina Murga, Valeria Bistagnino, Tomás Eloy Muñoz, Axel Kuschevatsky, Cindy Teperman; Mostra Cine/Dopamine; 2024-USA/Argentina/Uruguay/Germany/Mexico/in Spanish with English subtitles)
“Provocative Martin Scorsese executive produced adultery film.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The Argentinian born director Celina Murga (“The Third Side of the River”/”Normal School”) helms this provocative Martin Scorsese executive produced adultery film. Ms. Murga co-writes it with Juan Villegas and Lucio Osorio.
The middle-aged college professors in question both teach agronomics in the same Buenos Aires university, but their paths don’t cross. They are both married with 2 children–Pablo (Joaquín Furriel) to Carla (Romina Peluffo), who has 2 sons, and Natalie (Marina de Tavira) to Hernan (Alfonso Tort), who has 2 daughters. They both are unhappy in their marriage, which leads them to affairs with their younger students.
The students are Gonzalo (Emanuel Parga) for Natalie and Luciana (Verónica Gerez) for Pablo.
The infidelities are excused by them because they care more about what’s right or wrong for them than in what society thinks about such discretions. The slow moving film makes its subtle point about them getting happiness in ways society (or the viewer) maybe can’t accept, but that’s fine with them (how the affairs might hurt their partners is another story). Natalie’s marriage breaks up when uncovered, while Pablo’s wife might not like it but doesn’t leave him.
Marina de Tavira’s sensitive performance over her sexual reawakening during the affair stands out for giving us the most to think about.
The film asks us to be aware that the professional class in Argentina is going through a difficult time of political turmoil that might reflect on the love life of the marrieds.
“Freshly Cut Grass” suggests that for some an adulterous affair can rekindle an unhappy marriage or for others get them out of a bad one.
It played at the Tribeca Festival.
REVIEWED ON 6/21/2024 GRADE: B-