★★★★☆
Alan Minas’s Luiza’s Desert is a heartbreaking family drama that explores adolescence, mental illness, and the bonds, struggles, and complexities of family.
Nina Prado gives an astonishing performance as Luiza, a young girl who is at the age where she should be enjoying life and experiencing firsts.
First dates, first kisses, first love, but she is forced to deal with the realities of the real world far too young, almost stealing her youth and the transition into adolescence.
The film explores this with moments that not only show us, but tell us in a way that is more emotionally damaging than a scene could be.
Luiza, talking with her friend and discussing first times, speaks the words, “I always thought I would talk to my mom about it before it happened, but now I feel like I can’t.”
A simple yet powerful moment that allows us to see her in a different light. It draws you back to a moment of teenage angst, wondering, talking, and exploring this new chapter in life.
But instead of being blissful, it’s more a burden than a blessing. Her struggle isn’t simply having to do it alone. It’s having to do it alone while bearing the weight of her mother’s illness.
Exploring the idea of fatherless homes, her father is set and ready to divorce her mother and start a new life.
“Nina Prado gives an astonishing performance.”
Minas’s Luiza’s Desert is a character-driven narrative with a compelling and heartfelt story, one that allows the two to play off one another beautifully.
Minas has a clear vision of the story he wants to tell, approaching each aspect of the film with intent and allowing all aspects of the storytelling to come together in such a way that everything complements the scene.
That vision, however, doesn’t always translate into the film’s pacing. There are moments where the film lingers longer than it needs to, and while the cinematography and score often work to elevate individual scenes, they occasionally disrupt the film’s overall tone and pacing rather than strengthening it.
Which isn’t always executed flawlessly, but is done with the intent of elevating the scene. The opening scene, for example, is phenomenally done through the cinematography and score, creating an unsettling and disorienting feel.
Minas’s approach to the film’s cinematography is much like everything else in the film. It is used with intention, drawing emotional weight and utilizing it as a tool to elevate and enhance the film’s emotional depth.
There are certain moments that truly showcase this. Luiza’s first kiss scene is one of those moments in which the cinematography is executed brilliantly to enhance the emotional importance of the scene.
Using a handheld camera, Minas creates shots that reinforce the instability of her mother’s mental health, which also affects Luiza and the overwhelming emotional tension she is experiencing. The added struggle and uncertainty become visible.
The score comes into play the same way, offering another way to elevate and heighten scenes. At some points the score works wonders, like in the opening scene. At other times, the intent is there, and they take the swing to craft a score that stands out.
Which it does, but not always in a tasteful way. Her first interaction with the most popular boy at school—the one she has a crush on—is paired with a bold and interesting musical choice, although it doesn’t quite land.
The film offers an array of well-executed performances, but Nina Prado’s performance stands out. Her approach to the character is what makes her performance stand out: balancing the lingering shadow of her mother’s illness while still trying to live her life and experience adolescence. Her performance is layered and balanced, shifting from scene to scene when needed, but never feeling fully on or off.
Luiza’s Desert is a moving character study that balances the beauty of adolescence with the devastating realities of mental illness. It’s a thoughtful, emotionally grounded film that lingers long after the credits roll.
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