300. Socrates; movie review

 

SOCRATES

Cert 15

71 mins

BBFC advice: Contains strong language, sex references, violence

Blimey, this is raw, credible and riveting - and was filmed for less than $20,000.

In fact, I would go as far as claiming that Socrates is the best micro-budget movie I have seen in the past decade.

Socrates was directed by Alexandre Moratto and is the first feature produced by the Querô Institute in Brazil.

It was co-written, produced and acted by at-risk teenagers from local-income communities with the support of UNICEF.

Please do not allow that description to put you off. It is so professionally presented, there is no way of knowing that it isn't a mainstream movie.

Christian Malheiros is superb in the title role - a 15-year-old trying to find his way after the sudden death of his mother.

Not only does he find himself facing eviction due to his lack of money but he is also ostracised by his family because of his sexuality.

Our hearts reach out to him because he tries so hard to avoid either going into a children's home or falling into the clutches of the father who has previously rejected him.

Socrates is prepared to work from morning until night to survive but has to convince potential employers he is 18.

Thus, he becomes more and more desperate and throws himself towards a young man who shows him a slither of love.

Moratto's movie is a sober reflection of the poverty in which many Brazilians find themselves trapped.

It is also a commentary on how gay love is not accepted by many in a country where the lower classes know each other's business because they live cheek by jowl.

Hope flickers occasionally but too often it is dashed and Socrates feels compelled to break the law to survive.

Moratto conjures such a tense atmosphere I felt I was there in Sao Paolo and his cast are so good there is no way anyone would think they weren't professionals.

It would be impressive regardless of budget. It is remarkable in light of how little was spent.

Reasons to watch: Gritty, realistic and different

Reasons to avoid: Relentless

Laughs: None

Jumps: None

Vomit: Yes

Nudity: Bare bums

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know? In 2009, Alexandre Moratto volunteered at the Querô Institute in Brazil – a UNICEF- supported non-profit that provides social inclusion to teenagers from low-income communities through the transformative power of filmmaking.

The final word. Alexandre Moratto: "The film is embedded in a unique time and place in Brazil but that also tells a universal story about the strength to live despite insurmountable hardship."

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