Movie Review: A Poet

4.5 stars out of 5

Thank goodness lead actor Ubeimar Rios wears a beard throughout this film, or else my fellow moviegoers might’ve thought I was him sneaking in for a screening. And there’s not just a physical resemblance that connected me to this schlubby middle-aged character Oscar Restrepo; he’s a writer whose professional and personal lives used to show much more promise, yet he remains stubbornly idealistic.

Oscar lives with his elderly mother. The pressure is on from his sister and brother-in-law to start earning some money (which would also help pay for college for his estranged teen daughter). He reluctantly begins a high-school teaching job, but his beloved liquid courage doesn’t get him off to a good start in the classroom. However, one student grabs his attention: Yurlady, a fellow poet. He decides to become her mentor, which has both positive and very negative consequences for Oscar.

I so appreciated that this movie didn’t try to do too much except portray real life and real problems. We’re in Colombia but there are no drug lords or corrupt government officials, etc. etc. Instead, the film asks some very basic questions: Are people capable of change? Can we mend broken relationships? Is it possible to fulfill our dreams through another person? And a bigger query: What is the role of art in society? This is addressed through a wicked satire of socioeconomic patronization in the local poetry community.

Oh, and I should mention that A Poet is also very, very funny. We’re rooting for Oscar but can’t help but laugh as he stumbles through his existence. I would also be rooting for the movie for an Oscar, but although it was the Colombian entry as Best International Film, it was inexplicably not nominated. That is not poetic justice.