Courtesy Black Bear Pictures
Movies
I Carry You With Me offers something akin to perfection before its sense of self-importance ventures too far. Even still, prepare for its better elements to sweep you away even when it might ultimately leave you adrift.
In the early 1990s, Iván (a wonderful Armando Espitia) isn’t having much luck on his path to becoming a chef and Puebla, Mexico, isn’t offering much. All the while, he’s trying to support his young son amidst his poverty—but, as any queer drama requires, things begin to change when he meets Gerardo (Christian Vázquez) and the two fall into a loving but hushed relationship. Circumstances devolve until Iván is forced to immigrate illegally to the United States for a chance at giving his son a better economic footing.
The narrative storytelling in I Carry You With Me is a knock-out. Still, it suffers from a glaring creative misdirection—blending the wonderful narrative with documentary, focusing on the present day lives of the men who’ve inspired the film. Director Heidi Ewing (Jesus Camp) proves herself to be a hell of a filmmaker, but she can’t seem to separate entirely from her documentarian background, even when the project begs for it.
I Carry You With Me began as a doc before it evolved into a narrative, according to Ewing, but its genre-blending yanks the rug out from under the viewer (the entire third act transitions into documentary), shattering the illusion so well built for us. Even if these sections are well-crafted, it’s harder to swallow because Ewing’s creative choices are otherwise solid. She shoots the film tightly, having her actors dominate the frame and sacrificing dialogue for subtle looks and glances. It is tense, funny and often affecting, even if its plot beats are familiar.
I wish we got a complete film rather than two separate works stitched together—at least its narrative elements are worthy of celebration.
7
+ The good things are very good
- Documentary element harms the well-built illusion
I Carry You With Me
Directed by Ewing
With Espita, Vázquez and Michelle Rodríguez
VoD, NR, 111 min
