Pelo Malo (Bad Hair)

Synopsis

Junior (Samuel Lange) is a nine-year-old boy growing up on a housing project in Venezuela with his recently widowed mother, Marta (Samantha Castillo), and his baby brother. Searching for an identity without a father figure, Junior starts to feel marginalised by his mother’s pre-occupation with his younger brother. When school term approaches and his yearbook photo is due to be taken, Junior decides to straighten his stubbornly curly hair. His grandmother recommends Junior spend time with her as they have a strong connection and share a love of music and singing. She introduces him to her favourite sixties crooner, Henry Stephen (“My Lemon, My Lemon Tree”) and suggests he might like to imitate his look for the school photo. As Junior’s fixation with his appearance grows, it soon puts him at odds with his mother. Overwhelmed with searching for a job to provide for her family, she finds it increasingly difficult to tolerate Junior’s personality and tries to induce him into ‘macho’ ways, convinced his obsessions are in fact signs of his undefined sexuality...

Winner of the prestigious Golden Shell at the San Sebastián Film Festival and numerous awards internationally, PELO MALO (“Bad Hair”) is a nuanced, wonderfully spirited and touching coming-of-age story from writer-director Mariana Rondón (“Postcards from Leningrad”), featuring exceptional lead performances by Samuel Lange and Samantha Castillo.

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Reviews

"Powerful yet playful...An exceptional performance by Samantha Castillo"

Mark Kermode, THE OBSERVER

"absolutely brilliant"

Jason Solomons, THE ROBERT ELMS SHOW, BBC LONDON

"playful, perceptive and poignant, as well as highly entertaining."

David Parkinson, EMPIRE

"gem of a film, Critics’ Pick"

NEW YORK TIMES

"Critics' Choice"

Nigel Andrews, FINANCIAL TIMES

 

Kate Muir, THE TIMES

 

Tom Huddleston, TIME OUT

 

Charlotte O'Sullivan, EVENING STANDARD

 

Allan Hunter, DAILY EXPRESS

 

Sophie Monks Kaufman, LITTLE WHITE LIES

 

Malcolm Lewis, NEW INTERNATIONALIST

"highly recommended"

@TIMEOUTFILM

"terrific"

Jason Solomons, MAIL ON SUNDAY

"superb coming-of-age tale"

Alison Rowat, THE HERALD

"a beautifully realized coming of age tale…impressive"

Maria Delgado, SIGHT AND SOUND

"a real must-see"

David Edwards, DAILY MIRROR

"courageous"

Emma Simmonds, THE LIST

"bold and intelligently perceptive…enthralling…provocative and gripping"

INDIEWIRE

"impressively multi-layered…powerful"

VARIETY

"distinctive and highly engaging"

Maria Delgado, BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

"a poignant portrait of the relationship between a young Venezuelan boy and his single mother, which succeeds not just in sensitively portraying a difficult situation, but also in offering a thoughtful take on big issues like race, identity and sexuality."

THE SKINNY

 

 

 

 

 

 

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