The Man In Love With The Moon: A Poetic Ode To Cinema & Chance Encounters

Writer-director Laura Casasnovas’s The Man In Love With The Moon (El enamorado de la luna) is a serendipitous, languidly paced drama, that is nothing short of a dream. A visual poetry of both art and architecture, the film coerces one into immersing themselves in its frames. A compelling storyline, superbly enacted by its lead pair, the short at little under 25-minutes, succeeds at letting you forget your existing frame of mind. So absorbing, so enchanting is the world that Casanovas creates that it’s hard to not feel the pang as the credits begin to roll.

Julien Dubois (Toni Sastre), a pantomime performer, is on the move. His performances have taken the streets by storm. Headlines splash across leading papers to applaud his talent. Currently at Mallorca, we have the privilege to watch him perform. Xisco Díaz Salamanca’s cinematography makes the already beautiful island a postcard fantasy. Every frame is picturesque, and not because of its innate architectural grandeur, but because of the intentional framing. We skip the tourist laden squares, to quiet bylanes, faintly lit alleyways that hold secrets of rendezvous and quiet promises. Salamanca’s direction in photography adds a layer to the storyline convincing its audience why it had to be Mallorca where the story is set.

In a world that is already fast-paced, technology driven, Casanovas’s The Man In Love With The Moon comes as a respite to the sore eyes. There is a deliberate attempt at maintaining the easy pacing of the film that serves its storyline well. The writing embedded with knowing pauses fills the narrative with a breathing space often missing in contemporary films. Add to that, Marcos Callejo’s editing, it ensures that each frame gets its due screentime as the story unfolds between the two strangers. And, so, when Julia (Polina Nikolaeva) enters the plotline, the music (Gori Matas & Aina Zanoguera) coupled with the editing add to the slow, rhythmic tempo to the film’s timeline.

Nikolaeva is a delight to watch. Every scene, every frame is enriched with her presence. The easy chemistry between the two make for their exchanges an almost sensorial experience. As they begin to disclose their journeys and intents, it becomes evident that this isn’t your ordinary meetcute. By the end of it, we wish to hear more about them, and their star crossed destinies. Sastre as the primary lead has a huge responsibility to shoulder that he does brilliantly. Watch out for the scene where as the pantomime he calls it a day and begins to wipe off the makeup while opening up about his experiences. The dichotomy between his presumed self and intended isn’t lost to the viewer. The ironic worldplay between Julien and Julia becomes the crux of the plotline, a scene so beautifully written and executed by Nikolaeva and Sastre, that one hopes to have more of it.

The Man In Love With The Moon is riddled with innuendos, lingering glances and soft pauses. With a reference to Richard Linklater’s iconic Before Sunrise, we get the premise and Casanovas doesn’t fail to deliver. The deliberate choice in subtle conversations, fleeting interactions, longing gazes over fast, tempered plotlines; the vulnerability of the characters as opposed to submitting the script to the conventional archetypes of romantic characters, what Casanovas does is present the possibility of falling in love with cinema, all over again. A rare, honest attempt at rewriting stories for intended audiences, a genuine ode to what is left of cinema and its aficionados. Much like her characters, the discovery of The Man In Love With The Moon feels like nothing short of a serendipity, in itself. A must watch, the short is bound to leave one asking for more!

Bravo!

Watch The Man in Love with the Moon (El enamorado de la luna) Short Film Trailer