The youth novel Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe garnered a lot of success, so it’s shocking that it took so long for a film adaptation to come out. While the movie is pretty standard, it’s charming and wholesome in a way that the LGBTQ+ community will enjoy.
The film follows two Latin American teenagers living in El Paso as they find instant connection in a community that too often looks down on relationships like theirs. It’s a fairly stereotypical coming-of-age story, the likes of which have become popular over the past decade, but it’s still a welcome step forward in portraying a historically underrepresented community.
Indeed, the area in which this movie succeeds best is not portraying these characters as just gay teenagers, but Latin American gay teenagers. It’s a community where so many of these stories happen due to the largely conservative nature of many Latin American families, and to see these struggles portrayed in an emotionally authentic way is most welcome.
Admittedly, as is the case with just about every young adult film, some scenes do seem a little sugary. The entire middle part of the film, following the two eponymous characters as they communicate by letter while in different cities, stands out as one of the more contrived parts.
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The two young lead actors are fantastic despite it being their first two performances in a feature film. Their chemistry together is fantastic, and exactly what is needed to make this movie work. You can feel the tension between them bubbling up throughout the film in an absolutely adorable way.
The movie also managed to put together a pretty impressive supporting cast. Given the film’s budget, none of their roles can be particularly large, but they make the most of what they have. Eugenio Derbez and Eva Longoria play the parents of the teenagers, and they each get a really big “supporting actor” scene which is truly impressive.
The indie nature of the film holds it back a bit in terms of visuals. A few moments use CGI to create a dreamlike feel, and it’s admittedly a bit distracting unpolished. However, for the most part, it’s a pretty standard coming-of-age movie set in the ’80s, with a soundtrack of well-known songs and campy costumes.
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe doesn’t reinvent the wheel, but it’s still solid, making it an interesting addition to the genre. It’s mainstream and enjoyable enough that it’s likely to be a moderate hit with audiences.
Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe screened at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, which runs September 8-18.
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