Lima, Peru is overrun with a plague that is killing inhabitants without mercy. The only people not susceptible to this plague are the children and as a result, the shelters and orphanages are filled to capacity. This is the premise of writer/director Adrian Saba's "El Limpiador (The Cleaner)," a solemn but artful look at death and loneliness.
At the center of the film is a forensic cleaner Eusebio Vela, a lonely and seemingly apathetic man to the pain around him. He has essentially been desensitized by his line of work and goes about his business without a care in the world. But then he runs into Joaquin, an orphan who is not particularly keen to communicating to those around him. When Eusebio realizes that there is nowhere to take the boy, he takes him to live with him in his rusty old apartment. What follows is the growth of a tender relationship that gives the core of the story warmth amidst the otherwise cold and apocalyptic veneer.
As the film opens we watch an unknown young man smoking cigarettes as cars drive by. After two cars drive by, we start to question what the intention of this shot is. After about a minute or so, the third car starts coming toward camera and the young man finally runs in front of it to end his life. This is the style of "El Limpiador:" Carefully staged long takes that create a sense of anticipation with a resulting payoff. But the film does not feel manipulative in the least, as Saba takes care to maintain the film subdued tonally and emotionally. Silence pervades the proceedings more than anything else. Conversations between characters are never sustained for more than three or four exchanges and oftentimes characters will take pauses between said exchanges. What this does is add a strong sense of desolation to the environment and accentuate the equally bare but astounding visuals of an unrecognizable city.
The visuals are probably the film's greatest asset as the long takes allow the viewer to focus on the canvas-like compositions of Saba and Cinematographer Cesar Fe. The colors are desaturated and muted throughout without a semblance of brightness anywhere. The preponderance of wide shots for most scenes gives a huge scope that accentuates the loneliness. It also works towards creating a strong sense of disconnect with this dying world. One of my personal favorite moments is a shot of Eusebio cleaning the house where he finds Joaquin. All we see is Eusebio on right frame in a doorway cleaning with an empty wall as our only other visual reference. The shot emphasizes how Saba and Fe say so much with so little and that particular composition emphasizes the pointlessness of Eusebio's existence in such an abandoned world.
But the film is not simply somber throughout as Saba adds some light moments to relieve the tension. When Joaquin refuses to come out of a closet, Eusebio offers to make him a cardboard mask to protect him. Joaquin ends up wearing it everywhere. Later on Joaquin asks Eusebio to read him a story, but the older man can only find an instruction manual for the TV. The film shows a great deal of restrain and avoids being overbearing with its apocalyptic themes and these moments of humor certainly add some grace to the proceedings.
Victor Prada brings a subdued but strong performance as Eusebio. His stillness and expressionless visage early on makes it seem as if Eusebio was already dead in life. And while he never comes close to cracking a smile during the rest of the film, there is evident warmth that he starts to emanate as Joaquin starts to fill that void that he has long sustained in his life. Adrian Du Bois's Joaquin mirrors Prada's reserved nature, but his delicateness immediately softens the panorama and tone of the film.
"El Limpiador," Adrian Saba's debut feature film, is a highly successful display of visual creativity and controlled pacing. The film, while slow, maintains an immersive experience thanks to its two strong performances and its fascinating world and concept.
The film does not have a release date yet, but had a successful debut at the San Sebastian Film Festival where it received an honorable mention. It also screened at the Biarritz Film Festival and will also debut at the Chicago International Film Festival.
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