''Bottom of the Sea'' ( es, El fondo del mar) is a 2003 Argentine

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

written and directed by

Damián Szifrón Damián is a Czech, Slovak and Spanish male given name, which is a form of the name Damian. Damian is derived from the Greek name Δαμιανος (Damianos), from the Greek word δαμαζω (damazo), meaning "to tame" or "to master".''Behind the ...

and starring

Daniel Hendler Daniel Hendler (born 3 January 1976) is a Uruguayan film, television, and theatre actor who works mainly in the cinema of Argentina, where he lives. He is known for his starring roles in films such as '' Bottom of the Sea'', ''Family Law'', '' ...

Dolores Fonzi Dolores María Fonzi (born 19 July 1978) is an Argentine TV, theatre and film actress. Several of her films have received critical acclaim such as '' Burnt Money'', '' Waiting for the Messiah'', '' Bottom of the Sea'' and '' The Aura''. Her brot ...

and

Gustavo Garzón Gustavo Garzón (born May 25, 1955 in Buenos Aires) is an Argentine film and television actor. He works in the cinema of Argentina.Freiburg,_Germany_ file:Juanes_ZMF_2015_jm49211.jpg.html" ;"title="Germany">Freiburg,_ Freiburg,_Germany_">Germany ...

. It was produced by Sebastián Aloi, Nathalie Cabiron, and Damián Cukierkorn. The associate producers were Diana Frey and Guillermo Otero. The story deals with jealousy and the maturity required for a person to overcome it.

Synopsis

A slightly neurotic architecture student, Ezequiel Toledo (

), drops by his girlfriend Ana's (

) apartment and finds a man named Aníbal (

) hiding under her bed. Aníbal retires quietly without knowing of Ezequiel's discovery, and Ana does not mention him at all. Ezequiel begins to suspect Ana and jealousy fills him. He decides to follow Aníbal, whom he's sure is having an affair with Ana. This is the start of a night's odyssey for Ezequiel, who trails his suspect and starts to gather small details about his life and identity. At one point Ezequiel sets fire to Aníbal's car and threatens his life. The events spiral even more as Ezequiel is later followed by Ana.

Cast

as Ezequiel Toledo *

as Ana *

as Aníbal * Ramiro Agüero as Altclas * Ignacio Mendi as Rolandelli * José Palomino Cortez as Máximo * Rafael Filipelli as Filipelli * Mercedes Halfon as Voz en el teléfono *

Diego Peretti Diego Peretti (born 10 February 1963) is an Argentine actor, screenwriter and former psychiatrist. Peretti was born in Buenos Aires, and practiced as a psychiatrist for fourteen years. He took part in several movies and TV series, including ...

as Cómico 1 *

Alejandro Fiore Alejandro Fiore (born July 5, 1969) is an Argentine actor. He has worked in ''Los Simuladores'', a miniseries that received the List of Golden Martín Fierro Award winners, Golden Martín Fierro award. References

Argentine male actors P ...

as Cómico 2 * Gabriel Fernández as Joven Arquitecto * Daniel Valenzuela as Valenzuela * Claudio Rissi as Taxista

Distribution

The film was first presented at the

Mar del Plata Film Festival The Mar del Plata International Film Festival ( es, Festival Internacional de Cine de Mar del Plata) is an international film festival that takes place every November in the city of Mar del Plata, Argentina. It is the only competitive feature fes ...

at the March 11, 2003. It opened wide in Argentina on August 28, 2003. The film has been screened at some film festivals, including: the Toulouse Latin America Film Festival,

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

; the Latin America Film Festival,

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

; the

Lleida Latin-American Film Festival The Lleida Latin-American Film Festival ( ca, Mostra de Cinema Llatinoamericà de Lleida, or shortened to ca, Mostra de Lleida) is a cinema festival that takes place in Lleida, Catalonia, Spain awarding Latin American films. It is organised by the ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

; the Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival, Spain; and others.

Critical reception

Critic Gustavo J. Castagna, reporting from the

for FIPRESCI liked the film, and wrote, "''El fondo del mar'' is clearly directed to the box office crowds when made through the use of mixed genres, but it does not fall into any false intents; closer to the aesthetics of Fabian Bielinsky's ''

Nine Queens ''Nueve Reinas'' () is a 2000 Argentinian crime film written and directed by Fabián Bielinsky. It stars Ricardo Darín, Gastón Pauls, and Leticia Brédice. In the film, con artists Marcos (Darín) and Juan (Pauls) unexpectedly team up to sell ...

'', ''El fondo del mar'' shows that a cinema made with pleasure and formal rigor is still possible." Neil Young thought the film was an "unassuming but very likeable little comedy with dramatic touches...writer-director makes a very old set-up seem fresh, funny and surprising." Yet, Young thought director Damián Szifrón lost his way at the end.Young, Neil
''Neil Young's Film Lounge,'' reporting from the Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival, September 25, 2003.

Awards

Wins *

Clarin Entertainment Awards Clarin or Clarín may refer to: Geography *Clarin, Bohol, a municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines *Clarin, Misamis Occidental, a municipality in the province of Misamis Occidental, Philippines * River Clarin, a river in Ireland Media ...

: Clarin Award Best Film Actor, Gustavo Garzón; Best Film Director, Damián Szifron; Best Film; Best Film Screenplay, Damián Szifron; 2003. *

: Audience Award, Damián Szifron; Best Ibero-American Film, Damián Szifron; FIPRESCI Prize - Special Mention Best Latin-American Film, Damián Szifron; 2003. * Donostia-San Sebastián International Film Festival: Horizons Award - Special Mention, Damián Szifron, 2003. * Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor; Best Supporting Actor, Gustavo Garzón; 2004. *

: Best Actor, Daniel Hendler; Best First Work, Damián Szifron; 2004. Nominations * Argentine Film Critics Association Awards: Silver Condor, Best Actor, Daniel Hendler; Best Art Direction, Mariela Rípodas and Lucia Onofri; Best Cinematography, Lucio Bonelli; Best Director, Damián Szifron; Best Film; Best First Film, Damián Szifron; Best Original Screenplay, Damián Szifron; Best Sound, Jesica Suarez, Marcos De Aguirre and Fernando Soldevila; Best Supporting Actress, Dolores Fonzi; 2004.

References

External links

* *
''El fondo del mar''
at the

cinenacional.com Cinenacional.com is a web portal and World Wide Web, web-based database about Cinema of Argentina, Argentine cinema. It is the most comprehensive site for information about the Argentine film industry, with a vast array of information on films, tel ...

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bottom Of The Sea 2003 films 2000s thriller films Argentine independent films 2000s Spanish-language films 2003 directorial debut films