2004 Movie
Dir. Fernando Eimbcke · Mexico · Spanish
A lazy Sunday turns unpredictable in this understated, coming-of-age drama
Duck Season happens within the span of a normal Sunday afternoon. At first, when the electricity stops, it’s boring. The first two kids stare at each other in black and white, just looking for something to do. But it’s that exact boredom that gets the ensemble to meet each other, getting them to break out of their normal cycle, and question things in their life that they haven’t thought about, like what the heck are they going to do with their life moving forward. And like that pivotal afternoon many of us might have gone through, the film is simple, understated, and surprisingly deep. Duck Season takes its sweet time to unfold into an honest conversation between friends.
Flama and Moko are fourteen years old; they have been best friends since they were kids. They have everything they need to survive yet another boring Sunday: an apartment without parents, videogames, porn magazines, soft drinks and pizza delivery.
"The fullness of Duck Season is in direct proportion to its smallness; its modesty makes it bloom."
— David Edelstein
"Eimbcke reveals a disciplined visual sense, a good ear for dialogue and an easy rapport with his fresh young actors."
— David Rooney
On one Sunday afternoon, teenagers Flama and Moko have all they need to stave off boredom: an apartment without parents, video games, and the landline to the nearest pizza delivery. However, when the electricity gets cut, their usual hangout leads to an unexpected afternoon with their neighbor Rita and the pizza delivery man Ulises.
That post-credits scene, though.
No ducks here, I’m afraid, except the ones on the picture frame.
Cannes
1 nom
Spirit Awards
1 nom
Isabella Endrinal is a curator at A Good Movie to Watch. She's now free from the corporate night shift. Previous articles have been published in outlets such as NANG Magazine. She's currently catching up on some classic films… if she isn't coping with the fact that the Haikyu anime will end soon.
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