Leap Year (2010)

Sometimes, instead of digging through the trash heap that is the Tubi catalog, I’ll try to find a film that is both titillating and thought provoking. That’s when I came across the indie film out of Mexico called Leap Year from 2010.

Movies about masochistic relationships come a dime a dozen these days which is why I nearly skipped over this one. But I’m glad I didn’t this time. The film’s only location is in a shitty apartment and the actors, who are nude for roughly half the screen time, aren’t what you’d find in a typical Hollywood production.

We follow around Laura, played by Monica del Carmen, as she eats, masturbates to her neighbors, uses the bathroom, and brings home strangers to fuck. She finally meets Arturo, who begins to enact his sadomasochist fantasies on her…usually at her own instigation. Critics of the film accuse it of being misogynistic, being halfhearted with its exploitation of sadism, etc etc. and, in my view, those critics missed the point entirely.

This is an exploration of loneliness. The sex isn’t supposed to be arousing. The characters aren’t supposed to be fully committed to the acts they’re portraying. Laura engages in these activities because they’re the only way she can feel anything. It’s not entirely clear if Arturo enjoys all of it. They are sweet to one another while sitting on the couch after sex, but the camera is distant, almost as if they try to generate a connection but it repeatedly fails to materialize. Finally, as February 29th draws near, Laura’s intentions become clear as she hopes to end her life in one final act with Arturo.

If this were a normal Hollywood movie, Laura and Arturo would realize their love for one another and they’d live happily ever after. OR, worse yet, they’d actually go through with the act. But in true anti-climatic fashion, Laura’s brother inadvertently saves the day and Arturo fails to appear.

The ending may come across as a bit too optimistic: Laura simply flips the calendar to a new month, possibly signifying better days ahead. But it’s so low key that it might be open to interpretation. I see it as demonstrating the impermanence of loneliness and depression; life goes on.

I must say that Monica del Carmen gave what possibly might be the greatest performance ever committed to the screen. She delivered exactly what the role called for, and that alone is why you should check our Leap Year.