Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Two teenage Mexican-American loners in 1987 El Paso explore a new, unusual friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery.
- Released: 2022-09-10
- Runtime: 96 minutes
- Genre: Drama, Romance
- Stars: Max Pelayo, Sam Bayarra, Kevin Alejandro, Horacio Abaroa, Eugenio Derbez, Natalie Camunas, Eva Longoria, Isabella Gomez, Reese Gonzales, Hanani Taylor, Veronica Falcón, Maynor Alvarado, Luna Blaise, Diego Parra, Marlene Forte, Martin Morales, Emiliano Torres, Jose Diaz
- Director: Aitch Alberto
Comments
- Void-Horizon - 22 June 2024
You don't want to overlook this one
I'll admit, I wasn't all that compelled to see this, at first. I wasn't sold on it being anything more than just another gay teen movie. However, it didn't take very long, at all, for this one to grab me by the heartstrings, and reel me in.
It's a very adorable and charming gay teen romance. It offers some really nice elements of beneficial friendship. The companionship between the two youths is very compelling.
I felt the whole thing to be extremely believable and relatable. Especially, considering it deals with what it's like being a Latino American gay youth, I felt like I could totally understand and relate with that experience, because it's presented in a very approachable way.
I like how the relationship between the two boys develops over time. How everything they go through brings them closer, not only with each other, but with their own personal feelings.
It's a movie which not only teaches us about overcoming bullying and homophobia, but also what finding true love and courage is all about.
It's a nice, positive and heartwarming little movie. I absolutely loved it, and highly recommend it.
Edit: I waited until after I wrote my review to read the others, and hadn't realized this was based on a book! Well, I guess that explains why it's so well-written. I don't often read fiction, but would seriously consider reading this book. As always, the people who have insist that the book is better. Well, I had no idea of that, and was still a little blown away by this movie. In fact, so blown away that I've actually re-watched it several times, which something I rarely do. So, that speaks very highly of how good this movie is.
As an aside, one of the parts in this movie I simply can't get over was when Aristotle tells Dante his name. I have to admit, that is one of the cutest scenes I've ever witnessed in my whole life, and I can't get how he said that to quit echoing through the back of my mind. It's almost as unforgettably charming as that time we witnessed a young Milo Ventimiglia proclaim "Nothiiiin'!" at the end of the short film, Must Be The Music. Wink twice, if you feel where I'm coming from.
In fact, now that I think of it, I'm going to add one more star, because I can't get over how charming this movie is. It actually reminds me of why I'm so proud to be alive, and what's so beautiful about life as a gay guy. It's not a perfect movie, but I think it deserves to be watched. - trmac-29234 - 16 November 2023
Charming & Adorable Film. One to Watch.
There is something truly special about this film. It's sweet, it's cute, it pulls at your heartstrings, it ALMOST made my eyes water, and I loved every second of it! Max Pelayo (Aristotle) took this role and tan away with it. He did a remarkable job and I was genuinely impressed. His acting career going forward looks very promising and I'm excited to see what's next for him. Reese Gonzales was also good, but there are a few moments here and there where it felt like the acting was overdone. I picked up that Dante was meant to be this fun, charming, outgoing, quirky individual, but some scenes just seemed unnatural. That's me being very knick-picky though; he's still a young actor. It's definitely one to watch!
