#300 characters Do not start cooking immediately. The spicy, gay Argentinian “anti-rom-com” slowly warms up as writer-director Lucas Santa Anna sets up the film’s interesting premise, then works through a generally well-written script follow-through.
The basic point-and-shoot camerawork doesn’t do the screenplay, co-written by Gustavo Cavagna, any favors, but the storytelling is captivating, along with a charming cast. Cristian Mariani and Gaston FrÃas play CrossFit-obsessed Jero and queer underground poet Tom, whose boyfriends share their unlikely Buenos Aires romance on TikTok and become a gay “it couple.” tom and jello show.
But when Jero (like Geronimo) returns home on the first anniversary of his death and discovers that Tom has left him a sneaky surprise, the show appears to be over. Two surprises: Tom actually left him and disappeared completely. And he left behind a gift box containing 300 nicely printed letters explaining why.
So the timid Jero, who always wanders around his gorgeous garden pad in boxer briefs, digs through the boxes and begins searching for answers. Tom narrates each letter in a narration dripping with venom as flashbacks deconstruct his and Jello’s story of non-love, one letter at a time.
Tom’s detailed diary of their relationship begins with a scathing summary of their first encounter, a meeting with Grindle on Valentine’s Day. Based on first impressions, Tom, who thinks Jero is “cheap, childish” and superficially gay, doesn’t seem to change his opinion much during their time together, but apparently the incredible sex keeps him around.
That, and a selfish urge to turn his mean views on Jell-O into colloquial poetry. Throughout their relationship, Tom relentlessly uses Jell-O as fodder for his art. This is an obvious but savage statement about how poets, filmmakers, and other artists excavate the lives of their lovers and friends in order to sustain their own creativity.
It’s subtly powerful to see letters and poems used as primary weapons. Even in Tom and Jello’s image-driven world of AI-assisted TikTok videos and Grindr profiles, badass poets can be hurt by the written word.
But Tom isn’t a one-note villain who spins a poison pen, and Frias’ performance is nuanced enough to reveal the self-doubt and insecurities that lead Tom to self-destruction. He’s also a deft presenter of Tom’s sour poetry, and most importantly, he has no difficulty convincing us that Tom will stick around to have sex with Jello, played by Mariani, even though he clearly thinks Tom is a boring whore.
Mariani, who has spent more time on screen, is less nuanced in her delivery and less convincing in her character portrayals, but she exudes a charming puppy-dog romance. Jero believes in love, just like we believe in CrossFit. Tom, on the other hand, despises romance and commitment just as much as he despises so-called superficial gays like Jello.
Bruno Giganti — star of flagrantly homosexual 2022 drama horse play Jero’s CrossFit best friend, Esteban, is exactly the type of gay guy Tom rants about in the poem, and he’s funny if a bit grumpy at times. Jorge Cephus, on the other hand, finds depth in his portrayal of Tom’s gender non-conforming friend Q, who supports Tom but also checks Tom’s use of his art against people.
This movie isn’t romantic about either side. And as the story finds its rhythm, bouncing back and forth between past and present, dropping narrative threads left and right, it offers desirable options for both sides, both on Grindr and in the real world. The pair’s TikTok fame is ultimately not essential to the plot, nor is the mystery surrounding the real-life identity of one of Jello’s faceless online fans.
Fans were disappointed, if not disappointed, with the mystery, which added a sexy new element to the film’s depiction of Buenos Aires’s lively gay scene. If there’s anything that shines romantically here, it’s Argentina’s capital, presented as a perpetually sunny, uncrowded queer metropolis where the next handsome man is always just a swipe away.
#300 characters (★★☆☆☆) Available for rent or purchase on digital VOD platforms such as Apple, Prime Video, Google, and YouTube. Available on DVD at Amazon. visit cinemaphobiarelease.com.
Source: Metro Weekly – www.metroweekly.com
