Leo's Room

In Enrique Buchichio's drama, Martin Rodríguez stars in the titular role of a handsome college student who just broke up—mainly due to his lackluster sexual performance—with his girlfriend of six months. After Leo begins to wonder if he's intended for heterosexual pleasures, he hunts around the Internet and hooks up with Seba (Gerardo Begérez), a Mr. Right Now who could possibly be Mr. Right…if Leo wasn't so afraid of coming out. But then a chance reunion with pretty Caro (Cecilia Cósero)—a former classmate suffering a spell of severe depression—makes Leo question his orientation once again. Is Leo forcing himself to be interested in Caro out of double-pronged pity for his own sexual guilt and her mental state? This Uruguayan import is burdened with an unsubtle solemnity that eventually becomes oppressive, and its insistence on screenplay clichés—especially predictable input from a wise psychologist and a zany stoner roommate—only add to a sense of simple connect-the-dots filmmaking. Still, on the whole, Leo's Room seems sincere in its exploration of sexual orientation. A strong optional purchase. (P. Hall)