Leopoldo Torre Nilsson, Beatriz Guido, Graciela Borges, and Alfredo Alcón. With names like these, it seems impossible for a film to go wrong, and as a matter of fact, this one does not. While not as famous as _La casa del angel_ (1957) or _La mano en la trampa_ (1961), _Piel de verano_ is as elegant and moving as any other Torre Nilsson picture I have seen. The director dedicated it to his father, Leopoldo Torres Ríos, who passed away the year before the film was released.
A shallow young woman, Marcela (Borges) is staying at a summerhouse. One day, her vapid routine is interrupted by her grandmother Jou-Jou (Franca Boni), who tells her that her lover's son, Martín (Alcón), has been diagnosed with a terminal illness. Martín's father has supported Jou-Jou and her entire family, he even paid for the summerhouse where Marcela is now staying, so the family is indebted to him. Jou-Jou has a proposition: if Marcela spends Martín's last days with him, she can have new Dior clothes and a yearlong trip to Paris with one of her friends. Even though she despises Martín, Marcela accepts. As the two youngsters hang out together, the viewer wonders whether her feelings towards Martín are changing. Is love a possibility, even if this is a Torre Nilsson film?
Borges is excellent in her portrayal of yet another young woman plagued by ennui. Alcón also plays a role that would become familiar to him: that of the vulnerable man who struggles to maintain his dignity. Both actors were on their way to become icons of Argentinean cinema. Torre Nilsson's shots, be they landscapes or close-ups, are as beautiful as ever, and his favored atmosphere (high class boredom plus sexual tension) is very well constructed.
Argentina's official submission to the Academy Awards, _Piel de verano_ was unfortunately not nominated. Had it been otherwise, it would have had a tough time against Bergman's _Through a Glass Darkly_, but this is nevertheless a remarkable film, one that stands out even among other Torre Nilsson films. It may be underrated because it was released the same year as Nilsson's own _La mano en la trampa_, which some consider to be his masterpiece. I don't know whether the latter is the better film, but it's darker and may have deeper symbolism. In any case, I recommend both, and everything else Torre Nilsson made.
