Ander (2009)

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A lonely man finds a friend who leads him to a revelation about himself in this drama from Spanish filmmaker Roberto Caston. Ander (Joxean Bengoetxea) is a farmer edging into middle age who lives with sister Arantxa (Leire Ucha) and their aging mother in a small Basque village. While Ander works… More A lonely man finds a friend who leads him to a revelation about himself in this drama from Spanish filmmaker Roberto Caston. Ander (Joxean Bengoetxea) is a farmer edging into middle age who lives with sister Arantxa (Leire Ucha) and their aging mother in a small Basque village. While Ander works part time at a bicycle factory, the farm is his life; he has few friends and will have even fewer companions after Arantxa's upcoming wedding. One day Ander breaks his leg and is told by his doctor that he'll have to wear a cast for the next two months. Though Ander insists he can still do his work and look after his mother, Arantxa won't hear of it and hires a Peruvian handyman, Jose (Christian Esquivel), to assist him. Ander and Jose quickly become close friends, and are invited to a bachelor party thrown for Arantxa's fiancée. Reme (Mamen Rivera), a prostitute from Galicia, is hired to be part of the entertainment, and Jose becomes infatuated with her. Reme is drawn to the sincere affection Jose offers her, and the two become lovers. However, as Jose spends more time with Reme, Ander resents not being able to spend as much time with him, and he comes to realize his feelings for Jose go beyond the usual boundaries of friendship. Ander was an official selection at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi