Unmade Beds

In his debut feature, Glue, Alexis Dos Santos presented an often raw and uncompromising examination of teenage life in Argentina. In Unmade Beds he continues to pursue his interest in the lives of young people, with an eye to exploring a generation that is increasingly becoming dispossessed from both familial and national connections.

Axl (Fernando Tielve) arrives in Britain to search for his long lost father. Along the way he becomes involved with Mike (Iddo Goldberg) and Hannah (Katia Winter), whose bohemian lifestyle leads to a world of exciting encounters, temporary homes and many hangovers. Meanwhile, Vera (Déborah François) tries to recapture a failed relationship with the delightfully monikered X Ray Man (Michiel Huisman) by taking Polaroid pictures. Soon Vera and Axl will discover each other in this world of random meetings.

In some ways Unmade Beds harks back to the ‘Swinging London’ films of the ’60s, re-inventing the city as the ultimate in urban cool. It’s a place where the drink flows freely, new and intriguing people are always around the corner and responsibility is merely a word in the dictionary.

Dos Santos employs a free-wheeling narrative with dreamlike sequences. This tangible atmosphere takes precedent over any clear through-line, meaning that the film can sometimes prove to be a bit of a mess. But it’s all done with such exuberance and enthusiasm that you learn to love it regardless. François and Tielve manage to engage in their roles, with the rest of the cast clearly having a lot of fun.

Certainly it’s refreshing to see a film about youth that doesn’t resort to the clichés of drug abuse gone wrong. While its lack of narrative thrust can render it a little too loose for its own good, Unmade Beds still manages to charm and entice.

Laurence Boyce

Anticipation:

Dos Santos’ first feature has had many eagerly anticipating his follow-up.

Enjoyment:

The film sets up a world that proves fun to inhabit, and the soundtrack is great.

In Retrospect:

A celebration of being young and a paean to a time when responsibility meant getting the next round in.