TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW BY SEAN EGAN | Initials S.G., the new Spanish-language feature from writer/director tandem Rania Attieh and Daniel Garcia, is the kind of offbeat, smoke-addled dark comedy that casually draws from both Breathless and Goodfellas. And, if there’s any justice in this world, it should earn itself a sizable cult, and join those perennial dorm room poster faves on the walls of undergrads everywhere.

It’s the kind of film that’s a little hard to define while it’s happening. It concerns one Sergio Garces, a down on his luck actor living in Buenos Aires, as he shuffles his way though a few of the worst days of his life (which happen to coincide with Argentina’s appearances in the 2014 FIFA World Cup Finals).

As played by Argentine box office star Diego Peretti, Sergio is, to put it charitably, something of an epic Fup, and more than kind of a dick. He’s an emotionally distant womanizer, something of a slacker, and has legitimately troubling anger management issues. He’s also, somehow, quite charismatic. His appearance is that of a troubled soul, his creative work suggests multitudes, and his baked aloofness often registers as some form of external cool, or, at the very least, internal Zen. He’s an eminently watchable lead, though much of this is thanks to Peretti’s impressive and decidedly unflattering performance. He’s understatedly fearless throughout, equally willing to make himself look pathetic for the sake of a laugh or a character development.

Like Inherent Vice and The Big Lebowski before it, the film follows a persistently stoned Sergio through an episodic shaggy-dog story that moves in the same amiably hazy manner as its protagonist. As a comedy, it’s almost arrhythmic, in ways that often pay huge dividends. Sometimes, it’ll pivot to an unexpected joke in a moment of relative calm, or get deadly serious when a laugh is expected.

However, the tendency to march to its own drum and eschew traditional beats is also the film’s biggest flaw, at least in terms of narrative. The pacing is somewhat stop and go. Without a clear thread tying the action together during the front half, and a surprisingly plot-driven back half, one might feel a little adrift or some whiplash if they don’t just go along for the ride.

Still, the ride’s kept more than engaging, thanks to the impressive display of craftsmanship exhibited throughout. Attieh and Garcia, shooting on location in Buenos Aires, give the piece a particularly inviting sense of place, aided immeasurably by an addictive jazzy score that riffs just as much as the movie.

Additionally, the soundtrack periodically features effortlessly cool covers of iconic French musician, Serge Gainsborough (with whom Sergio shares an affinity for) contributing to the movie’s overall sense of swagger. Elsewhere, other directorial quirks, such as deadpan narration and hallucinatory dream sequences, keep the humor diverse and the film moving in genuinely unexpected directions.

The longer it rambles on, the more difficult it becomes to argue with the cut of Initials S.G.’s jib. Gradually, you see, the films reveals itself to primarily be a subtle, subversive character study, which never quite feels the need to announce itself as such. Nonetheless, it finds itself more than on par with any number of straight-faced indie dramas about Bad Men, which have populated arthouses ad nauseum.

Sergio emerges as an intimately realized character, and with the benefit of hindsight, his winding journey proves ripe for critical analysis. Still, Initials S.G.’s most impressive achievement is being able to do that, while prominently making jokes about virtual-reality porn—and not even break a sweat.

–Runtime: 98 minutes

–Written & Directed by Rania Attieh, Daniel Garcia

–3:45pm, Sun., 5/5 at Village East Cinema

The 18th annual Tribeca Film Festival happens April 24 through May 5. Venues include Chelsea’s SVA Theatre, Regal Cinemas Battery Park, Village East Cinema, BMCC TPAC, and the Tribeca Festival Hub. For info, and to order tickets, visit tribecafilm.com or call 866-941-3378. Matinee screenings are $12, evening and weekend screenings are $24, Tribeca Talks and Tribeca Immersive tickets are $40, and Tribeca Cinema360 tickets are $15. Discounted packages are available. Free Film Friday (free film screenings) is May 3. Twitter: twitter.com/tribeca. Facebook: facebook.com/tribeca. Instagram: instagram.com/tribeca. Hashtag: #Tribeca2019.

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