This is a movie I rewatched recently. It happens sometimes to watch a movie twice, because it's good, or because I've forgotten that I've seen it before. This latter case is a bit of a shame, but it means the movie wasn't good enough to remember it.
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Anyway, Without Saying Goodbye or Hasta que nos volvamos a encontrar is a Peruvian-Spanish romantic comedy, not really my genre, but this one has a huge plus and that's Peru and Machu Picchu.
Maxi Iglesias is playing Salvador, a success oriented architect in the big corporate world, working to make daddy dearest happy and fit his expectations, which is why he lands in Peru. He has to buy a piece of land in Cusco, which is needed to build a seven star hotel, the first of this kind in the region and the second in the world. His dad is trusting him with this project, but his trust comes with a price tag.
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Stephanie Cayo is playing Ariana, a very interesting character. She's a backpacker who is always on the move and can stay only a few months in one place. She's the total opposite of Salvador, which is why they attract each other, but also could hardly imagine living in the other person's world.
They are up to a nice start, but then the bomb drops and things get a little complicated for them.
[Salvador] - Don't you think what architecture can accomplish is amazing? [Ariana] - Totally impressive. Just incredible. Tell me something, do you want to build an eyesore like that here in Cuzco? [Salvador] - This is going to be unprecedented for tourists. There's only one seven-star hotel in the world. [Ariana] - And only on Machu Picchu. Except you can't remodel that.
[Salvador] - Why does it bother you so much that I'm building a hotel? Look, the city thrives on tourism. [Ariana]- No, no, no. The city doesn't thrive of tourism. It thrives because of its culture and sacred traditions. And tourism is just a consequence.
The two conversation above can give you an idea where they are coming from. Over the 90 minutes or so, we get to witness a lot of conversations and cliches about life, but not in an exaggerated way, these cliches still stay within normal limits and are funny too.
Ariana's messy stile sometimes was a bit too much for me, but her lose style was also attractive to some extent. I know what I'm saying is a bit controversial and I can't explain it better. I tried to put myself in her shoes and see if I'd like that minimalist, backpacker lifestyle. Throwing my dirty laundry out of the window so the b&b staff can collect it and take it to the laundromat? Hell no, but I'd like the freedom such a lifestyle offers, for a while.
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What I really appreciated here was the scenes. Cusco is wonderful, even if it's just a few minutes you see of it, its unique culture and lifestyle captivates you. Machu Picchu is a place I hope I don't have to introduce to you. We only get to see part of it, but what we get is heaven, especially if you live in a concrete world. The movie allows you to enjoy the place with them and put yourself in their shoes.
What I like about it is that the writers kept the story close to reality. As I mentioned, cliches are minimal, it's not a syrupy love story as so many are. The movie has something to say, the characters are well written, the actors are very good and the places ... oh, marvelous!
The original language is Spanish, but I'm not a fan, so I opted for English dubbing, which is really good. They made sure to not add anything English, that doesn't match the original language, the Peruvian lifestyle and custom. This is important.
If you like this genre, give it a try. You won't regret it.
Rating: 95/100
