Arturo a los 30 (About 30)

Are explanatory voiceovers in films taking the easy way out? Cinema is a visual medium, and yet, whether ubiquitous or used sparingly, a well-crafted internal monologue dubbed over the action can help to make a character more accessible for the audience. This is a roundabout way of saying that Martín Shanly, the director, star and co-writer of Arturo a los 30 makes decent use of the voiceover. Given the somewhat oddball relationship that the Argentinian film has with the passage of time, the grounding nature of an externalised internal monologue works supremely well. 

It’s the wedding of someone from Arturo’s (as played by Shanly) past – a difficult day made all the more challenging by his brutal car accident en route from the ceremony to the reception. Curiously escaping injury, Arturo reminisces about the past (cue multiple flashbacks), and perhaps he’ll eventually reach a conclusion about why he’s the poster child for arrested development, assuming he can take a break from drinking and getting high.

The perpetual man-child who experiences a conflict of sorts that triggers some type of self-analysis is hardly a novel character in any medium, but when it’s done with such unassuming charm, the familiarity of the material and characterisation is easily forgiven and forgotten. There are few new ideas on display here, but it’s all executed in a skilled and appealing manner, and its star milks a satisfying amount of comedy from Arturo’s poor choices. 

Arturo a los 30 proves to be an ample showcase for Shanley’s talents, even if the end result is uneven in places (though not frustratingly so). In fact, the film can be quite affecting in a somewhat warped way. As a slightly convoluted and not entirely linear character study that produces its fair share of laughs and bittersweet (or pessimistically dark) observations, Arturo a los 30 very much gets the job done.

Oliver Johnston

Arturo a los 30 (About 30) does not have a UK release date yet.

Read more reviews from our Berlin Film Festival 2023 coverage here.

For further information about the event visit the Berlin Film Festival website here.

Watch the trailer for Arturo a los 30 (About 30) here: