By: debbie lynn elias
Several years ago at AFI Fest, I had the privilege of meeting and befriending the exceptionally talented cast and crew of a little film from Puerto Rico called MANUELA Y MANUEL. My pick of the Festival, MANUELA Y MANUEL, is a kaleidoscopic vision of eye-popping color, energy and excitement thanks to the synergistic symbiosis of production designer and costume designer, the infamous Rafi Mercado of the House of Mercado, and Director of Photography, Sonnel Velazquez. Written by Joe Ignacio Valenzuela and directed by Raul Marchand Sanchez, MANUELA Y MANUEL is one of the finest examples of what collaboration, partnership and true filmmaking is all about. Each individual knows his talents, his strengths and weaknesses, as well as everyone else’s, and each works to compliment the efforts of the other. That was never more evident than when I sat down with the group for one of the most riotous and telling interview sessions I have ever done. But for me, walking away from those interviews, that film and that festival, I received something even more precious; friendships that have not only endured time, but in the case of Rafi Mercado, have flourished, as I have anxiously followed, each step of the way, his journey to bring us his directing debut – MI3NT3 (LIES).
No stranger to excellence and the work required to achieve same, in bringing MI3NT3 to life, Mercado surrounded himself with those he not only knows best, but who give their best – Sonnel Velazquez who reteams with Mercado as his Director of Photography, screenwriter Jose Ignacio Valenzuela and Raul Marchand Sanchez whose mad editing skills escalate the beauty and psychological intrigue of MI3NT3 to new heights. Had I not known going in that MI3NT3 is a film by Rafi Mercado with cinematography by Sonnel Velazquez, I would realized it within the first minute or two of opening credits that was the case. Their work is mesmerizing. Spellbinding. Psychologically electrifying. Empowered with brilliantly realized razor sharp visuals.
Henry is a young, shy introvert. Somewhat of a loner, he doesn’t appear to have any friends. He lives alone in a small one bedroom apartment, one room of which is covered with drawing after drawing of his original art work. Paint, pen, ink, sketches, volumes of sketch books, no wall or table top is uncovered. On close examination, the drawings are intricate, fractures within frameworks that explode with compartmentalized emotion. It seems that every waking minute – even while at work – he is drawing something. Clearly one who communicates through art, it comes as no wonder that he works in a video store. With an innocent naivete, it’s not surprising that Henry skateboards around town rather than drive his somewhat older little red car. But one day, all that changes when Paula walks into the store.
A beautiful girl with long dark hair, Paula has an air of confidence and allure that is intoxicating to a boy like Henry. Although immediately smitten with her, Henry is shy and timid and simply stares at her like a school boy with his first crush. But that night, we get a glimpse of Paula’s life in her abandoned warehouse loft. A bathtub with an overhead faucet sits open in the middle of the room. A bare mattress lies on the floor. Small mismatched cabinets are strewn about with various art supples and cameras tossed or draped on them. By daylight, Paula seems distressed, frustrated. She hacks off her hair with choppy cuts of a scissor, dying it various shades of blue which she refers to as “blue velvet.” Blue nail polish completes the look, all complimenting a tattoo she received days prior, a tattoo that looks almost like a jellyfish but which she likens to Medusa. The polished young lady of yesterday is gone before our very eyes.
With this change in appearance comes a freeing lightness in her attitude and demeanor, something which she anxiously shares with Henry as she runs over to the video store. There is no denying their attraction for each other, or the spell Paula has cast over Henry. Diving headfirst, Henry is swept into Paula’s world or what he is led to believe is Paula’s world. What is truth and what are lies?
And for all the beauty and sensuality in this life with Paula, there is a darkness which invades Henry when he is attacked skateboarding to his car. Beaten and bleeding, it is only thanks to a miracle that he is saved; a miracle named Diff. Also appearing to be a loner, Henry has seen Diff hanging out atop abandoned buildings or lurking in corners along his route to and from work. Somewhat frightened of him when skating past him on other nights, tonight Diff is a welcome relief and savior; a fact upon which Diff decides to take advantage, telling Henry “you owe me”. As Henry soon learns, Diff means to collect with a stiff price tag, starting with a robbery of a man who was rude to Henry in the store.
Despite the fear that envelopes him like a tight-fitting glove, Henry likes the adrenaline rush he gets with Diff, compounded with the sensual and sexual fulfillment with Paula, Henry begins to split himself between the two, deluding himself into believing this lifestyle to be good and right. Calmer and quieter with Paula, with Diff he is reckless and criminal. He hides his passion with Paula from Diff and hides his misdeeds with Diff from Paula. Fantasies are played out and lies abound. How long can Henry keep playing this game of cat and mouse with himself and his friends? How long indeed when he comes home one day to find his mother in his apartment.
Oscar Guerrerofs Henry is intriguing to watch. Guerrero has a sweet innocence with puppy dog eyes that begs you to watch, beckons you to protect him. But then he has this ability to flip Henryfs personality on a dime into the exciting world of Diff, but even in those moments, retain an innocence and naivete that cries for help, cries to held, cries to be loved. As Diff, Frank Perozo is the bad boy you love to hate. He has this great cocky arrogant aloofness with a crazed psychotic edge that is compelling to watch. Mariana Santangelo, however, is spellbinding. Her sensuality seduces the camera as Paula seduces Henry. Every move, every look, speaks volumes and all is punctuated with the exquisite lensing and framing of Sonnel Velazquez.
In word, MI3NT3 is brilliant. Valenzuela’s script is succinct with minimal dialogue, relying instead on the power of Mercado’s signature visual styling to convey the psychological intrigue of each character and the meld of their stories. As tension escalates and details are slowly revealed, camera angles tighten, editing quickens, the score pulsates. Balancing that is the tranquility and tenderness of young love between Henry and Paula with more diffused natural lighting by day, intensified into darkened shadows of seduction by night. The visuals have a rich, vibrant clarity which is the perfect antithesis to the fractured emotional fragility of the characters. I couldn’t take my eyes off the screen. The use of color is hypnotic. The myriad of blues that, while vibrant, serve the story with their mutations and variation giving one appearance in one light and something else entirely different in another – just like the story and each character. Simply masterful.
Handling production design himself together with Mailara Santana Pomales, as is his trademark, Mercado’s visuals are strong and bold. Complimenting this strength is the lighting and framing by Velazquez which, like Henry’s drawings, is sharp, well defined and cutting. Expanding on the beauty and intensity of the photography is Sanchez’s editing which is well honed and definitive, adding its own nuance to the tone of the film.
MI3NT3 means “Lie.” There are no lies here dear readers. Rafi Mercado’s MI3NT3 is masterful.
Henry – Oscar Guerrero
Diff – Frank Perozo
Paula – Mariana Santangelo
Directed by Rafi Mercado. Written by Jose Ignacio Valenzuela based on the novel by Javier Avila.
