‘August Evening’ | 3 ½ stars
By ROBERT W. BUTLER
The Kansas City Star
Common decency is the least entertaining of human attributes.
And movies that make decency not only interesting but also profoundly compelling aren’t exactly standard fare at the megaplex.
Which is why we should cherish “August Evening,” the astonishing feature debut of writer/director Chris Eska. (After screening last weekend at the Kansas International Film Festival, it opens today at the Glenwood Arts.)
Much in the tradition of John Cassavetes, Eska has a real feel for simple human stories told in unhurried fashion with a wealth of detail. But he also finds the human commonalities in different settings. His previous film, a short, was about Japanese workers waiting for a Tokyo commuter train.
“August Evening” finds us in contemporary Texas among undocumented Mexican workers.
The gray-headed Jaime (Pedro Castaneda) labors in a factory chicken farm and lives with his wife and their widowed daughter-in-law, Lupe (Veronica Loren). In a double whammy, Jaime’s wife dies and he loses his job; soon he and Lupe are thrown upon the mercies of his children.
These two — Victor (Abel Becerra) and Alice (Sondra Rios) — are thoroughly Americanized and view their father as an embarrassment. He may be hard-working and kind, but he’s also uneducated and never learned English.
“August Evening” is about people living on the cusp of poverty, but it’s not a “problem picture.” Nor is it conventionally dramatic, with big speeches and set pieces. Eska’s vision is too big for that.
The film’s heart lies in the relationship between Jaime and Lupe. With the death of Jaime’s wife, Lupe takes over aspects of her mother-in-law’s role. No doubt Lupe likes that the quiet, undemanding Jaime reminds her of her dead husband.
The biggest drama here lies not in the pair’s economic hardships but in the gentle efforts of Jaime to nudge Lupe in the direction of Luis (Walter Perez), a good-hearted young butcher. At first she stubbornly resists all opportunities for romance, hiding her beauty beneath a sullen pout and softening only when alone with Jaime.
Eventually, though, Jaime and Walter wear her down.
Castaneda is borderline great as Jaime … although one hesitates to call it acting. This is his first role, and Castaneda doesn’t so much perform as simply be. Rarely has a character with this little dialogue so dominated a feature film.
“August Evening” goes on a bit too long, and Eska doesn’t know when to wrap up the picture … it has at least three endings, any of which would provide a solid emotional coda.
But for a first feature this is a terribly impressive work, not because of its technical razzle-dazzle (the film looks fine without drawing attention to itself) but because it makes us care.
‘AUGUST EVENING’ ★★★ 1/2
Director: Chris Eska
Cast: Pedro Castaneda, Veronica Loren, Walter Perez
Rated: PG-13 for strong languge; Spanish with subtitles
Running time: 2:07
Join the discussion
Share your observations and experiences about news. Lively, open debate is the goal, but please refrain from personal attacks or comments that are racist, vulgar or otherwise inappropriate. If you see an inappropriate comment, please click the "Report as violation" link to notify a KansasCity.com editor. Thanks for your feedback.