Blister in the sun

Alexis dos Santos’ “Glue” is hot, sweaty, sticky – not unlike how the main character, Lucas, describes his waking state most mornings and why he needs, so desperately, “to get laid.”


Teenaged Lucas (Nahuel Pérez Biscayart) listens to the Violent Femmes – “Add It Up,” appropriately – while rocking a sticky faux-hawk.

The audience breathes an audible sigh of relief upon learning Lucas’ locks defy gravity thanks to various product, and not, as the viewer suspects, from nature’s hair gel à la “There’s Something About Mary.” Lest you think this American coming of age cinema… oh, do not be fooled by my reference to “Mary.” The Farrelly brothers look like they are merely fumbling with their zippers next to dos Santos’ coming and coming and coming of age tale, "Glue."

This narrative feature is suitably filmed mostly in too-close-for-comfort shots and shaking handheld frames with lens flares a-plenty. Three Argentine teenagers ride, run, wrestle, wank, dance, smoke and sniff their way through an adolescent summer in all of its gritty and often uncomfortable glory (and I use “glory” somewhat loosely). And we get to watch, no matter how badly we might want to turn away at times.

American coming-of-age films tend to flinch at sexuality, “tastefully” having the “good sense” to pan over to the wall during coitus or similar. But not “Glue.” Oh no. Remember when you saw the diving board scene in “Y Tu Mama Tambien”? Yes. “Glue” has many unabashed, unfettered sexual moments like that, but with even more soul and well-written characters, dialogue and back-story.

Another dumb thing about many American coming-of-age films: Someone always has to pay when The Sex is had. The message that perhaps makes “Glue” uncomfortable for some viewers is that sometimes people (often young men) push the envelope as far as they can in order to then come back to a comfortable resting place, to figure out what actually is too far.

Since I’m supposed to be relatively mum on “Glue” – “capsule review only” and all that (at some point I’ll try to throw up a blog about that very subject) – let us talk about the audience.

Now, I think “Glue” is great, a “fresh voice,” is how I believe David Nugent (Program Director Eximius & Ubiquitous) describes dos Santos’ filmmaking. But as Nuge also says, the film is not always easy to watch. I find myself hot-eared and sweaty-palmed on several occasions throughout the screening at the well-appointed Newport Art Museum, glad I have a pad and pen to focus on (je suis très americaine). So I can only imagine how the lovely, silver-haired Ralph Lauren-clad couple seated in front of me (and similar peppering the audience) must feel as these teenagers grope in the sun and sniff glue.

After the pivotal reckless glue-sniffing scene the husband of said viewing couple gets up to leave, quiet as a church mouse, politely and discretely suggests his wife do the same. She wants to see what happens, though, and watches much of the rest of the film rapt, with her hand cupped over her mouth. I think for a moment that this couple has probably had at least one teenager of their own and I can’t imagine how it must feel to picture one’s own son in similar positions and predicaments.

Or maybe the pair just had bad crab cakes for lunch. (I know I didn’t – The Gas Lantern on Thames was quite dee-lish).


Who’s that thinkin’ those nasty thoughts?
Nasty boys!
Who’s that eatin’ that nasty food?
Nasty boys!