WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
How quick are we to pass judgment on that which we don’t immediately understand? Without taking any time at all to actually stand back and assess or ponder, we see something, or someone, which isn’t within our established version of “the norm” and make the choice to deride or pass it off as an aberration. However, IF we WERE or, ideally, ARE willing to take that moment to SEE the object of our dismissive manner, might we just not end up in total surprise at what we find? One night in Lisbon, Claudio (Ivo Canelas) has a chance (really accidental) run-in with a trans woman named Larissa (Gaya de Medeiros) that becomes an object lesson in just how faulty our initial perceptions about another individual can be, and what Claudio subsequently learns about himself in the process through the lively and tense interactions they share.
Next, my Mind:
The weighty might of misunderstood lifestyle orientations, the overt wonder of what it is to be open to accept the uniqueness of others, the often sobering and revealing light our prejudices being exposed brings about, and the simple exhilaration of experiencing foundational human interaction all get put on wonderfully executed, playfully dramatic, undeniably compelling display through this Oscar qualifying short film from writer/director Ary Zara and producers Andreia Nunes and Frederico Serra. As this critic has seen over the years when it comes to efforts exploring the LGBTQIA community, it so profoundly transcends personal opinion about the actual lifestyle choices and instead speaks to our overall need to just SEE other PEOPLE first rather than choosing to spew malice at things, whether we agree or disagree on said decisions.
Here we find a man who apparently does like to–observe– the ladies of the night on the streets in Lisbon being suddenly and involuntarily picked out by one who thinks he’s looking for a good time, she finds out differently, but then persuades him to drive her down the street a ways, opening up a dialogue between them that is as hilariously awkward (for HIM, initially anyway) as it is a poignant illustration of two completely different worlds colliding. The subsequent curiosity that ensues in their conversations fuels the remainder of the narrative, and does so effectively and with the aforementioned lightness of heart that makes events so engaging and smile-inducing. It showcases our penchant to be fascinated by what we don’t relate to, or perhaps even refuse to, when it comes to the “types” of people we wish to associate with, an inquisitiveness that is fleshed out with beautiful intent throughout the second and third acts.
But, what I also found equally interesting was the willingness to also exhibit how we will tend to potentially tell little white lies in order to protect ourselves FROM being proverbially uncovered in our bigotries or even just lack of logical thinking about a given topic, which I felt was plainly depicted through a sequence of Claudio being chided by the highly confident Larissa as she attempts to break through his conspicuous reservations and hesitations to truly talk about her lifestyle and how he sees it. The excellently crafted finale very much puts that necessary, fully evocative endpoint to the pair’s evening’s brief but tantalizing sojourn, and firmly drives home the film’s thematic journey with emphatic potency. Again, this really is a study in our world’s desperate lack of compassion, kindness, and basic love for one another as residents together on this planet, and one hopes films like this will at minimum spark discussion and even change in attitudes to that end.
Medeiros is such a perfect storm of sass, boldness, and heart through her performance here as Larissa, a carefree, boisterous but committed and loving trans woman who still seeks the notion of a better life and real love amidst the chosen profession she currently takes on. Happening about what she believes is a possible client for the night, getting into the man’s car elicits the opposite reaction she expected, but ends up taking it as a challenge to convince him to at least just drive her down the street to another stop. In doing so, Larissa cleverly and with total frisky, flirtatious pleasure ends up in a conversation that reveals his non-understanding yet curious nature about her “type”, leading them both down a path to eventual, even if fleeting, unanticipated attraction. It’s a role steeped in exuberant then earnest intensity and yearning for connection which Medeiros exudes with tangible fervor.
Utilizing a more subtle degree of emotional depth and deeply purposeful understatement, Canelas delivers a performance that, at the start, is the ideal foil to Medeiros’ evident level of vivacity via his role as Claudio, a man who does tend to notice the women on the corner, but more as some form of odd captivation rather than an actual pursuit. About to make a call, unlocking his car gets him an uninvited guest in the form of Larissa, whose chosen orientation is now brought to the forefront when she confronts him about what he thinks. Uncomfortable and delicate in his opinion of what he considers about her, he slowly begins to open up, be much freer around her, and soon finds himself on the totally opposite end of the spectrum of perception than he started with. Watching as Claudio’s annoyance and sensitivity about her morph into relaxed acceptance and potential attraction to Larissa is heartfelt, grounded, and utterly credible thanks to Canelas’ acting.
Supporting turns are present through Jó Bernardo, Karolina Lopes, Keyla Carvalho, Gabriella Oliveira, Gabriel Santos, Samantha Jenner, and Luan Okun. So, in total, “An Avocado Pit” is an adeptly creative, fun, thought-provoking, and very essential film that becomes another to speak to our cornerstone notions of what it is to just BE human, show a better inclination to treat one another with respect regardless of who we are or what we believe, and strive to optimistically and with pure intent pursue a better understanding and addressing of our differences, since you might just be as surprised as the characters were here.
STAR RATING (out of 5):
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
