Berger has been on an upward trajectory since his celebrated Plan B and he's been honing his edging skills to the point that his previous film, Hawaii ranked as one of my favourites of that year. But, as easy as all this will-they-won't-they schtick looks, it is actually a fine line that Berger treads. Here, with Taekwondo the chemistry is slightly off.
Not in a lack of sexual spark, that's still well and truly there between Germán (Gabriel Epstein) and his possibly-interested taekwondo teammate, Fede (Lucas Papa). And not in the sexually charged environment, seeing as Fede has invited Germán to his parent's place to hang with his buff and barely clothed childhood mates. But the sub-text is made a little too explicit and draws too thin amongst the competing under-the-surface narratives. Even the eye candy sours across the excessive run time.
That said, Berger hasn't lost his ability to frame a stunning image, to cast a jaw dropping body, or to elicit a performance of exceptionally disarming naturalism. Close all three off in a single scene and it is difficult to resist Berger's charms (at least for me).
I admit to being edgy though. I could feel the bristling around me as Taekwondo's commitment to the languid reality of a lazy weekend away pushed into trolling territory. Normally this wouldn't concern me but one of the bristlers I'm pretty taken with so I was kind of on edge.
Berger's not going to win over any new fans with this, and it is not going to be considered one of his best, but there's a lot to enjoy for fans of metered cinema.
★★★☆
Trailer:
Taekwondo screened as part of the Melbourne Queer Film Festival 2017.
You can check out other films from the festival here.
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