Sebastián (Martín Saracho) and Arsenio (Joan Kuri) meet at a dance audition and fall quickly in love. Their relationship progresses at a rapid pace with the two moving in together, but things fall apart with the arrival of new choreographer Mikael (Mikael Lacko) who is determined to pit the dance company’s dancers against one another. As Sebastián and Arsenio battle one another to impress Mikael in the hope of being picked as the lead dancer, their relationship goes off the rails. Things worsen when Arsenio joins forces with Luciano (Ernesto Coronel), the former lead dancer with a grudge, to ensure that Sebastián doesn’t outshine them.
‘Dying Briefly’ hails from Mexican film-maker Juan Briseño and it clearly takes inspiration from the classic ballet ‘Swan Lake’ and the iconic Natalie Portman film ‘Black Swan’. Attempting a dark drama tone, the film never really knows what it wants to be and the plot goes through the motions without leaving much of an impact. The rushed relationship of Sebastián and Arsenio serves only to set-up the conflict that becomes the heart of the film, and the story is one of jealousy and competitiveness that has been done a thousand times over.
Mikael’s arrive shakes the film up but his villain is very thinly drawn. He’s instantly unlikeable with zero redeeming qualities, and apart from the power he holds over the company of dancers, it’s hard to see why anyone would fall for him. It doesn’t take long for Mikael to inappropriately touch Sebastián, which bears no consequence, and before you know it Arsenio and Luciano are luring their new choreographer into a threesome. The events that play out seem to make little sense, with the writers throwing the kitchen sink into the mix but not really thinking through how that impacts on the characters.
There’s not a huge amount required from the actors here. The clumsy script is all over the place, and the mostly male cast primarily have to just look good in various states of undress and tight-fitting clothing. There is no depth to any of these characters, and while the film may take itself very seriously, it’s hard for the viewer to get on board. The actors do the best they can but they have very little to work with.
‘Dying Briefly’ possesses more confidence than it ought to. It’s at times unintentionally very funny and at others preposterous to the point that you can’t help but realise the plot makes little sense. There’s a good story in here somewhere but it gets bogged down in all too familiar plot points and sexual encounters that serve to distract rather than add to the story. It’s a shame as this could have been a hokey fun film but instead it tries to convince you it’s something more than it really is.
Cast: Martín Saracho, Joan Kuri, Mikael Lacko, Ernesto Coronel Director: Juan Briseño Writers: Isaac Basulto, Juan Briseño & Rosana Díaz Certificate: 18 Duration: 85 mins Released by: TLA Releasing Release date: 21st April 2025
