NANITO
- Sandro Mairata
- Jan 20
- 2 min read
RATING: 3/5 | By Sandro Mairata @smairata/ REFLEKTOR
“An imperfect but honest film that deserves the public's full support.”
Give it up for Arequipa! The rating may be modest, but I highly recommend watching this romantic, dramatic, and relatable story, with two memorable protagonists, both local legends of the stage and screen. Guido Calderón plays Nanito, an octogenarian schoolteacher who is widowed and forced into retirement, and Martha Rebaza plays Antonia, the neighbor across the street, whom Nanito once courted but with whom he was never able to have a romantic relationship. Elderly, alone, and suffering from serious senility, Antonia’s children take pity on Nanito and welcome him into their home, inadvertently rekindling old flames between the two.
So why the “3/5”? To tell this story, first-time director Guillermo Fernández Cano surrounds himself with a cast of actors whose performances are very uneven, with Calderón being the undisputed star with the best performance; it’s almost a crime that his name isn’t better known in Peru. Rebaza provides a good counterpoint, and the story is rich in itself: Who doesn't know a neighbor, a relative, a family member in their golden years, that autumnal stage of devastating falls, fading memory, lost physical faculties, lurking illnesses, and loneliness with no option to grow old in company?
The merit of Nanito is that it is an honest, accessible, and efficient film despite its many shortcomings, the main one being that the script feels unfinished and, at times, simplistic. There are some good moments in the cinematography, especially in low-light situations—the scene where Nanito falls asleep in the kitchen is very well done—but the impression of something rudimentary and amateurish persists. There is not a single wide shot of the beautiful city of Arequipa (not that one is asking for a cliché shot of El Misti), and what’s more, the information about where the events take place comes from press releases, because Fernández Cano presents his story in a way that aspires to be “universal” (it could happen anywhere), but due to limitations, it ends up being claustrophobic, with a few parks and a couple of street scenes as the only exteriors. “That’s the concept” falls short of an answer; this story deserved to breathe.
...and even so, go with your families, go with your parents, your grandparents. You’ll have a good time. All of the above are cinematic issues that take a back seat in cases like these. Nanito is a film that should be appreciated by a wide audience and deserves to be seen on streaming services or on free-to-air television. There are imperfect films that deserve a free pass and full support because they convey something more sensitive and worthwhile.
This is one of them.
Year of Release: | 2025 |
Director | Guillermo Fernández Cano |
Producer | Walter Manrique |
Cast | Guido Calderón Martha Rebaza |
IMDB |
Comments