Cast: Najwa Nimri, Fele Martínez, Nacho Novo, Maru Valdivieso, Kristel Díaz, Víctor Hugo Oliveira, Sara Valiente, Peru Medem
Director: Julio Medem
Producers: Txarly Llorente, Fernando de Garcillán
Screenplay: Julio Medem
Cinematography: Gonzalo F. Berridi
Music: Alberto Iglesias
U.S. Distributor: Fine Line Features
In Spanish with subtitles
Lovers of the Arctic Circle is one of the most unabashedly romantic movies to arrive in theaters in years. For all who have been disappointed by Hollywood's sometimes-awkward attempts to tell the story of star-crossed lovers buffeted by the turbulent winds of fate, Lovers of the Arctic Circle arrives as a remedy. Be warned, however: depending on your perspective, the conclusion can be seen as either profoundly moving or extremely dissatisfying. It depends whether you're expecting an ending that relies upon traditional romantic conventions or not.
The first hour of Lovers of the Arctic Circle comes close to being a perfect romance. The characters are meticulously developed as their relationship is explored, starting from their initial meeting as schoolmates to the clandestine sexual trysts they engage in behind their parents' backs. In many ways, Otto and Ana share the kind of love we all strive for. Yet, once fate has brought them together, it shows its fickle nature by seeking to tear them apart. For much of the weaker second half, Otto and Ana are seeking to find themselves (metaphorically) and each other (literally). Borrowing a device that will be familiar to viewers of films like Next Stop, Wonderland, Lovers of the Arctic Circle allows the lovers to be in close physical proximity (as when they sit nearly back-to-back in an outdoor café) without recognizing it. Of course, we know they'll meet once again in the end... or will they?
The script for Lovers relies heavily on coincidence. Writer/director Julio Medem gets around this by making fate a significant theme in the film. He sets the tone early, during the scene when Otto and Ana first meet. In a voiceover, Otto remarks that if a ball had been kicked straight, he wouldn't have chased it, and if he hadn't run after it, he never would have encountered Ana. Throughout the film, coincidence builds upon coincidence. By acknowledging it, however, Medem keeps us from shaking our heads and muttering, "Give me a break!"
Lovers of the Arctic Circle touches on several intriguing and potentially-controversial issues, but avoids the trap of becoming obvious or moralistic. One is incest - when Otto's father marries Ana's mother, the two become step-brother and step-sister. However, instead of circumstances cooling their ardor, things heat up. Now, the two teenagers are living under the same roof, just a bedroom apart. Likewise, one could argue that there's an Oedipal element to Otto's relationship with his mother. This is hinted at several times, but most strongly mid-way through the film when Otto is unable to cope in a rational way with something that happens to her.
Medem eschews the traditional narrative, preferring instead to present his film as a series of episodes, many told from both Otto and Ana's perspectives. In a fashion that's half Rashomon and half He Said, She Said, the director explores how girls and boys place a different emphasis on various elements of a growing relationship. Unlike in He Said, She Said, this approach isn't just a gimmick; it's a legitimate route to character building. Fifteen minutes into the film, we have a clear sense of who both Otto and Ana are. As time passes, and different actors take on the lead roles, we accept the changes. There are a trio of Ottos and Anas. Peru Medem (the director's son) and Sara Valiente play them as grade-schoolers, Víctor Hugo Oliveira and Kristel Díaz represent them as adolescents, and Fele Martínez and Najwa Nimri have the adult parts. It's a credit to Medem and his cast that we're never jarred by the transitions between actors.
The ending is likely to polarize viewers. Some will hate it, and I admit that the impact is a little like being kicked in the stomach. Nevertheless, there's also something poetic about the cosmic irony of the resolution, and the way Medem elects to present it. As a whole, the film is not without its flaws - the second half has a tendency to drag - but Lovers of the Arctic Circle is one of the most accomplished and literate love stories to come out since Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise. It's a moving film that touches the heart without insulting the mind.
© 1999 James Berardinelli