Marco Berger | Platro (Platero) / 2010

sex around the house

by Douglas Messerli

 

Marco Berger (screenwriter and director) Platro (Platero) / 2010 [14 minutes]

 

Released as one of five sex-related films by Argentinian directors in 2010 as Cinco, Marco Berger’s Platero concerns a backyard picnic which the adolescent Walter’s (Julio Graham) two sexy teenage sisters Analía (Melanie Braggio Mejuto) and Carla (Ayelen Berger) are throwing a backyard party for boyfriends Platro (Mariano Contreras), Esteban (Matheo Chirano), and Marcel (Víctor Anelli). The day is hot and all the partyers are fairly undressed, splashing around a small portable backyard pool.

     Although the parents are home and, at one point, even invite those who are present to the table, they seem to be quite oblivious or perhaps even approving of all the sexual activity going on around them.

     Early in the film, Carla, flirting with her brother, pulls down his swim suit, wondering what he has in there, chasing him into and through the house, the two ending up running after one another around the table while the father (Luis Mango) attempts to read the newspaper. He finally calls for them to stop only because, presumably, he can’t concentrate on his reading.

     The mother (Dolores Cano) announces that it’s time for lunch and demands Walter call in Analía from the backyard where she’s busily engaged in a long, hot kissing session with her boyfriend Platro.

       What’s been clear from the start is that Walter in highly interested in the boys, most particularly Platro. And instead of announcing lunch to his sister, bends down behind a plant to more closely observe his sister’s hot boyfriend, after whom it’s clear he lusts.

       Carla meanwhile greets her boyfriend Marcelo at the door accompanied by his friend Esteban. In this oddly and openly sexual film, one can only wonder why Marcelo has brought along Esteban and what their relationship consists of, since the cute Esteban seems always to be watching Marcelo and Carlo as they engage in kisses and, later, swimming games. But then, this is a world in which all the young people are half-naked and sweaty, clearly seeking out some sexual release.

       Finally, Walter calls out to Analía to tell her lunch is ready, as she prepares to end her deep kissing with Platro, the latter of who bows out of joining her immediately at the table because he has a hardon.

 

       Carla is in her bedroom making out with Marcelo as Esteban lies in the a nearby bed playing with his cellphone, perhaps recording their love-making. All we know is that when Marcelo gets up to go to the bathroom, Carla immediately moves over to Esteban to demand to see whatever he’s looking at on the cellphone. He attempts to catch a kiss from her, which she rejects.

       Walter approaches Platro, who says he’ll be ready in a moment to join them, but the young boy announces that “the food’s not worth dick,” being just yesterday’s leftovers. But Platro declares he’ll eat anything. He appears to be hungry; so is Walter, but in a very different way.

       The mother demands that Carla and Walter quickly set the table before dinner gets cold, even though reminds her it’s just cold cuts, she emphatically noting, “and French fries!”

        Over desert, Analía announces that she finds models to be dumb and dreams of becoming a “TV presenter, or something like that.”

        After lunch, the three boys try to get the innocent and perhaps a bit mentally challenged Walter high on pot.

        The father falls to sleep, and Analía brings Platro into her bed upstairs, where Walter soon joins them in a nearby bed after being tossed into their little pool by Carla’s Marcel and his friend Esteban, who laughs a lot like a donkey. Indeed, the two boys sit near the pool, a bit like lovers, Marcel grabbing Esteban’s knee with great pleasure after playing their asinine trick on Carla’s brother.

       It is Platro with whom Walter is enchanted. Watching his sister cuddle with him while he pretends to nap in a nearby bunkbed. Analía sees him watching them and expresses her worry to Platro that he isn’t asleep, he jokingly suggesting that they invite him down to join them. The sister reacts to Platro, “It’s all the same to you, right? You’ll bang anything.”

       “Do you like my brother?” she continues, Walter’s eyes lighting up with the possibility. When he doesn’t answer, she pushes further, “Answer me, do you like my brother, you faggot?” Walter doesn’t dare even move.

        Platro only pulls her nearer suggesting that she should get some sleep.

        Downstairs, Esteban watches closely as Marcelo and Carlo make out.

       Back upstairs, Ani is attempting to suck Platro off, but a call from downstairs interrupts her at the moment when Platro is clearly getting close to ejaculation.

     She leaves his side. Walter’s eyes open widely, having now certainly considered carefully his sister’s comments. Seizing his chance, Walter hops of out of bed and standing near Platro whispers his name several times before Platro finally turns over, demanding to know what he wants.

        Faced with the tone of the responder, Walter answers “nothing,” and quickly climbs back into his own bed, obviously disappointed once again. On this hot, sweaty day, he still has no one to love. But with the braying Esteban and the well-hung Platro waiting in the bed below, we know that somewhere a friendly donkey in the tradition of Spanish writer Juan Ramon Jiménez’s great poetic narrative, Platero y Yo, exists in that house. Had Walter been able to express his desires, perhaps the now highly frustrated Platro might have quickly invited him into his bed.

        Never has a more brilliant picture of gay sexual frustration in the midst of heterosexual lust been brought to film. This, his fourth film, demonstrates Berger’s subtle exploration of gay sexuality, often frustrated or circumvented through external circumstance.

 

Los Angeles, October 21, 2023

Reprinted from World Cinema Review (October 2023).