●●●○○
On a lazy Summer day, The Way He Looks opens with a top-down shot of two friends, Leonardo and Gabriel simmering in the hot Brazilian sun, discussing another nothing day and average, melodramatic teenage problems. However, five minutes in, the audience realises that Leonardo is not a typical teenage boy but suffering from a birth defect that has rendered him blind. The often worn-out storyline of a teenager finding himself can be seen in a different light here, as Leonardo faces the usual teenage problems with the additional problem of his disability, reinvigorating this familiar tale.
The Way He Looks is a Brazilian film directed, written and co-produced by Daniel Ribeiro. The film follows the friendship of Leonardo and Giovanna as a new student, Gabriel, moves to their school and develops a close bond with Leonardo. The film is a stereotypical coming of age film, yet the young actors do an impeccable job together, showcasing a budding new friendship on the one hand and the seeds of resentment growing steadily in the background between Giovanna and Leonardo. All three actors have excellent chemistry and help the audience understand the shifts in the group dynamic and how an early friendship develops into an unbreakable bond.
Various scenes showcase the slow development between the two, and one would be hard pressed not to get at least a little choked up in some of the film’s endearing scenes depicting the tentative relationship between these two characters building over time. As the film progresses, the two become closer and closer and Leonardo begins to develop unexpected feelings for Gabriel, changing the group dynamic.
The only niggling problem comes in the form of an abundance of small side-plots that never really go anywhere. The film bounces around the cliched, teenage problems such as classroom bullying, underage drinking, and Leonardo’s desire for greater independence, yet never truly focuses on any of them. Some of these scenes seem to only be in there to fill a quota of stereotypical teenage issues without really engaging in them, or engaging with our main characters. Equally, some of the dialogue can feel slightly wooden at times, in various scenes the friends often chat about how their “laziness level is quite high”. It is unclear whether this is an issue of poor writing or sloppy translation but either way, phrases such as these are regular enough to be noticeable and take the audience out of the moment.
The Way He Looks transcends these minor flaws though and presents a very entertaining and endearing film about three friends making their way through life. It is well acted, intriguing and has a smooth soundtrack that makes the ninety five minutes fly by. There is nothing overly extraordinary but all the elements gel well together and add up to a film that is well worth watching.
The Way He Looks – Trailer – English Subtitles from Daniel Ribeiro on Vimeo.
