1991, Barcelona. While the upcoming Olympic Games gives the city an economic boom, some outlying neighbourhoods remain neglected. This is the case with La Sagrera, where two young teenagers, Juanjo and Miquel, live badly in their skin. Far from the problems of everyday life, school and girls, the two companions will take refuge in a passion that will seal their friendship: metal.
Minimum drawing
After two notable series in Catalonia, Judgment and the eponymous Heavies Tendres, author of comics Juanjo Sáez Cross the borders and arrive on a large screen. The drawing is content with the strict necessary: some features with a free and rounded style, stripped of any unnecessary detail. Each image thus obtained is clear. Like a box without contours, the whole simmers in the center of the screen, without needing to occupy all the space. This overshadowing creates the sensation of a moving comic strip, in the most literal way, and offers the film a special aura. These neglected areas will allow certain actions to take immediately more size and importance at the appropriate times, playing on the scale of magnitudes. If this staggered vision of the world can deconcentrate at first glance, it quickly proves very intuitive.
In addition, each character is identified by a characteristic that makes him easily identifiable, Miquel and his mass of blonde curls, Juanjo and his long brown hair, etc.. Thus, with a palette of tools so simple and put in place early in the story, the animators can play and divert the usual rules of animation. No need to worry about a certain realism or the rules of perspective. The world is distorted according to the needs of the staging and explores territories that would not have access to more traditional animation. The two directors, Joan Tomas Monfort and Carlos Pérez-Reche, thus manage to remain at once faithful to the graphic universe of Sáez, while bringing there a sincere added value by making it plunge into the world of animation. A film that experiments at every moment and succeeds in never visually losing its spectator.
Mutal metal
However, if the image is required, the soundtrack struggles to convince. Surprisingly, diegetic music is constantly undermixed. Every time the characters listen to metal, the expected momentum of power does not come and the pieces take the dimensions of a noisy elevator music that barely vibrate the seats. A choice assumed by the directors who explained that they wanted to apply their visual philosophy of counting to the sound plane. Unfortunately, they never achieve the same success. It can work when characters play vinyl without really listening. But more central sequences, like when Miquel listens to metal for the first time, lack punch. While it is transcended by the screaming riffs the lack of power in the soundtrack keeps us away from what it can actually feel. His exaggerated reactions become totally absurd.
Transition to M(etal)urity
Nevertheless, the film does not only shoot around music. If its aesthetics the fate of the lot, it is a real Coming of Age Movie, like he ticks all the boxes. Throughout the scenes, Juanjo and Miquel's ill-being gradually dilute as they learn to face life. Despite the obstacles, they form an incongruous and formative friendship that reinforces them. Around them, a procession of secondary characters color the small microcosm of La Sagrera, the limit of their universe. The first love, the loving teacher, the evil stepfather... The film accurately avoids clichés thanks to an autobiographical inspiration that brings the necessary subtlety. The sum of all these qualities allows Heavies Tendres to experiment at every moment, without ever losing its spectator. If he does not reinvent the wheel, he invites us instead to observe it and discover it from a new angle, full of surprises.
Cool, you made me curious about this movie! Thanks for your review 😉