Before We Forget (originally тιтled Duino) is a refreshingly intimate film and a classic gay yearning story. It has some twists that subvert genre expectations for an even more staggering emotional effect. Before We Forget follows two timelines, the first in the present day, where Matias (Juan Pablo De Pace) is struggling with the editing phase of a movie about his first love.
Meanwhile, flashbacks depict his younger self (Santiago Madrussan) having this experience as he travels from Argentina to attend college in Duino, Italy, before ending up at his Swedish friend Alexander’s (Oscar Morgan/August Wittgenstein) family’s villa for a life-changing holiday.
Before We Forget Is A Pensive Coming-Of-Age Journey Brought To Life By Heartfelt Acting
The Two Leads Are Very Real In A Story About Youthful Longing & Painful Truths
Santiago Madrussan is the latest of multiple recent performances I’ve seen that perfectly capture the subject’s insecurity, which is not to say that it is not unique. Madrussan realistically shows how Matias is truly joyful as he finds himself at his new school and forges supportive bonds, especially with Alex.
Yet throughout, we also see how Matias is always hiding parts of himself; when situations arise that might prompt him to reveal something, he nervously smooths it over. It all completely makes sense when the movie later reveals details about his childhood.
With an overtly literal visual motif, the movie captures his longing so painfully, always reaching out for something he can’t touch.
Oscar Morgan’s performance has a brightness that makes his being the emotional catalyst of the story believable, and he is walking a very fine line in terms of his actions and demeanor being not quite enough for Matias or us watching to know that he returns Matias’ feelings.
Julia Bender doesn’t quite work as Alex’s sister Katherine — possibly the result of her basically being written as a trope — but the protagonist’s parents are actually highlights that you don’t notice until one breathtaking monologue in a heartrending scene. It was the moment that, for me, really elevated this movie above being a bland rehash of others in its genre.
This narrative has layers, illustrating everything from Matias’ various inner turmoils about his future to moments where deeply rooted homophobia shows itself in minute ways, scarcely reminding you why Matias is so scared. With an overtly literal visual motif, the movie captures his longing so painfully, always reaching out for something he can’t touch.
Before We Forget Arrives At A Destination That Is Both Grounded & Subversive
The Film Goes Through A Lot In Its Last 20 Minutes
The supposed themes of the past growing blurrier are less directly said by the movie than its тιтle. But it is also alluded to be older Matias’ obsession with capturing a pivotal moment, how reliving these events makes him feel, and a brilliant scene when he discovers a hidden detail in his own source material which changes the past entirely.
The supposed themes of the past growing blurrier are less directly said by the movie than its тιтle.
The pacing concerning swaps between timelines is sufficient, while homemade video-style sequences are well mixed in to evoke the feeling of looking back on the past. However, the timeline about him making the movie isn’t as effective as it should be — largely because it seems like Before We Forget is more interested in telling the story about the characters as young adults.
After spending so much time with the young actors, we’re hit rather forcefully with the characters reuniting for Katherine’s wedding. The actors playing the older Katherine (Krista Kosonen), Alex, and Matias have such an easy dynamic with each other, the tensions from their young adulthood having (mostly) evaporated with time and maturity.
Before We Forget‘s final act is great, as it seems like the most painful and awkward parts of one’s youth can come to peaceful, satisfying resolutions. However, the movie’s most distinct themes aren’t clearly on display throughout, so everything goes back to being a basic plot about longing, reconciliation, and discovering oneself, even as the film does this well.
In the intervening years, Matias seems to have found himself with his work and his relationship with family. Yet he still wonders — could that first love have been real? In this way, Before We Forget muses on what could have been in a different time and place had the people involved been at different places in their lives.
Before We Forget is releasing in New York theaters on July 11, in LA theaters on July 18, and is expanding to more theaters on July 25.
