What’s worse? Cheating on your best friend with his girlfriend or falling in love with someone considered unbearable? No matter what your choice is, “everybody cheats” says the motto of ‘Voley’, Martin Piroyansky’s film, produced by Patagonik and released this week. The movie was completely filmed in Tigre in five weeks time and has incredible photography made up of nature, brown-water rivers, and the fabulous sceneries of the Delta.
Everyone has a stereotype in ‘Voley’, a defined profile. Piroyansky plays Nico, the owner of the house, the host. He’s kind of insensitive. According to his “caveman theory”, a guy can never say no to a lady and men are made to copulate as much as they want. That’s why he’s called “CaverNico”. Pilar (Inés Efron), his closest female friend, is mystic and naïve. She always imagines things, the opposite of Cata, (Vera Spinetta) the rude, direct, dark, and unfriendly writer. Nacho (Chino Darín) and Manuela (Violeta Urtizberea) make up the only couple of the isle. Manuela is structured, organised, and obsessed. On the other hand, Nacho is relaxed. Finally, Belén (Justina Bustos) represents the gorgeous and perfect-shaped blond who shows up unexpectedly and attracts Nico.
This picture has all the ingredients to be considered the most ‘American’ Argentine comedy ever, the local version of blockbusters such as Porky’s from the ’80s, ‘American pie’, in the late ’90s, or a rawer version of ‘Friends’ (with an included scene that recalls Chandler urinating Monica’s wound when she was bitten by a jellyfish at the beach). With black and scatological humour, ‘Voley’ portrays a generation for whom friendship is not a limit for going further. Friends with benefits; you can have sex with your friend and still stay cool, because as they say in the film “No one owns anyone”.
But why voley? That’s the common question you can make yourself if you keep on reading this review. As a matter of fact, the game only takes place almost at the end of the story. But when you think it hard, it makes sense: six friends who take turns -as volleyball players do when they score- in order to sleep in a bed, to puff a joint, or even to get laid. What’s more, nothing seems to be enough in Voley and that’s the main reason why everything begins to fall. The lack of beds, joints, and loyalty create a conflictive atmosphere where nothing is what it seems. And even the unbearable girlfriend of your best friend could turn into a huge crush.
In all, friendship and love are the big themes of the film. The characters search for love but it doesn’t mean they can eventually find it. Finally, ‘Voley’ has also its nostalgic perspective, the emptiness, this nonsense feeling you go through a Sunday afternoon when the sun goes down while you’re staring at it.
‘Voley’ is now out in all major cinema chains, and also showing at Espacios INCAA. For a full listing of showtimes, and other updates, visit the Facebook page.
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