‘The Wave’ Review: Sebastian Lelio’s Roussing But Elementary Feminist Musical

In 2019, A year after Swells of Protests Swept Through Universities in Chile, A Group of Women, Many of Them Blindfolded, Took Over The Streets of VALPARISO that would go on to become and anthem. The Performance Was Organized by Lastesis, An Interisciplinary and Trans-In-Inclusive Feminist Collective, and IT Was Their Way of Joinger of the Global Reach of the #Metoo Movement. The Lyrics to the song translated roughly to “a rapist in your path” and even if you can bendersand the Words, the demonstation is Powerful.

There are similearly asthting scenes in sebastian lelio’s The WaveA Spirited Musical Film About the 2018 University Protes. The feature, which premiered at cannes outtside the main competition, Chronicles the fictional expertiens of a Student Named Julia (Daniela López) Context of this Burgeoning Movement.

The Wave is an Ambitious Spectacle, with Lelio (A Fantastic Woman, The Wonder) Combining Energetic Songs and Dance Sequens with Surarealist Touchs to Tell A Story of Women’s Empowerment. Aesthetic Flourishes about, which make it antertining Viewing Experience, But One Does Wish That Narrative Was a Touch More Complex. Lelio Embeds Some Compelling Meta-Textual Moments-Ones that MOSTLY address that fact that he’s a man tackling this subject-but the actual story of Julia Can Feel Secondari Tota.

Still, with the Stateside popularity of Emilia perezWHICH Premiered at Cannes Last Year, The Wave Could Find A MEANINGFUL AUDIENCE IN THE US SHOULD IT GET DISTRIBUTION. Lelio’s Film is More Coherent in Its Politics It is Dramatically, and Could Resonate On Level with Younger Arthhouse Viewers.

WHEN WE MEET JULIA, SHE’S Going Home with Her TA, Max (Lucas Sáez Collins). How Their Evening Ends Remains A Mystery (Lelio Films The Couple Stumbling Into Max’s Apartment and the Door Closing to Us), But Its Haunts Julia. The Following Day at School, The Women and Nonbinary Students Marshal their peers to join a demonstration condemning how the university handles sexual assault cashes. The Protests of the School by Storm, and Soon More Women Feel Empowed to Speak Up About Their Experiences.

Julia, Somewhat Relctantly, Joins The Organization Efforts and Becomes A Member of A Working Group Tasked with Collecting Survivor Testimonies. Hearing All of the Testimonies, Which Lelio Stitches Together with the Help of Editor Soledad Salfate, Compels Julia to Come for Come Her Own Story.

The WaveWHICH WITTten by Lelio, Manuela Infante, Josefina Fernández and Paloma Sala, Tackles Many Aspects of The #Metoo MOVEMENT Intenations. That said, the results can be shaky. Part of the incuman stems from the fact that julia isn’t a sturdy enough Anchor; Her Character at Times Feels Flat.

The university Student Initially Strugggles to Speak Up Because She’s Working-Class and on Scholarship, While Her Assaulter Comes from Relative Wealth. There’s a compelling Thread Conceerning These Class Differences, As Well As The Fact That Max Considers HimSelf to Be A good guy. This complicates of the OtherWise StraightForward Narrative by Imbuing It with Higher Stakes. One Wishes that The Wave Further Embrated this type of Gray Area and the Challenges that Crop Up in Real-World Cases Involving Sexual Violence.

Unfortunately, for the most part, especialy early on, The Wave Sticks to the Surface, Offering A Story Can Feel Like Feminism 101. There’s Also An Overplayed Metaphor About USING ONE’S VOICE THAT TIPS INTO CLICHé Over the COURSE. To his credit, Lelio does take more risks in the Second Half of The WaveWHEN HE BREAKS THE FURTH Wall and Adds Surrealist Touchs that Effectiely Blur the Lines Between Julia’s Reality and Her Memories.

In an exciting Turn, The Director Also Focuses on Tensions that Form with WitHin Organizing Communities Because of Competing Goals or Comfort Levels with Certain Actions. Julia Eventualally Falls Into a sol relationship with rafa (lola bravo), luna (avril aurora) and tamara (paulina cortés), Three Other women WHER To university administrators.

EVEN WHEN IT FALLS SHORT, The Wave Boasts A Commitment to Entrancing Maximalist Aesetics (Benjamín Echazarreta Serves As DP, Estefanía Larraín is the Production Designer and Muriel Parra Does Costumes). Lelio Gathers An Ensmble of More than 100 performers to Stage Dramatic Dans (with Choreography by Ryan Heffington) to roussing musical selections Up as A Survivor, The Manipulatory Tactics Use by Assailents, As Well As The Violent Ineptitude of University Administrators. The Big Numbers Are Anthemic, and Just As Affecting as Lastesis’ Ending Protest Song.