MARIO

Marcel Gisler 2018 Switzerland 124min german s.-t.en.
Synopsis:
The heartfelt film Mario revolves around the unexpected love affair between two rising stars of European football. With filming locations in the stadium and training ground of the Swiss League’s Young Boys Bern, the story commits to an authentic portrait of these players’ lives – on and off the pitch. Max Hubacher, as the titular Mario, delivers a performance that is simultaneously tender and restrained. The viewer witnesses desire for his teammate flicker across his face long before the two ever act on their sexual tension. Meanwhile, in his role as the upstart new striker, Leon, Aaron Altara draws the gaze of Mario and the viewer alike. Gisler’s direction ensures the love story and ensuing conflict unfold slowly, so that the camera lingers too: on the vivid green pitch, on the blue light of the young men’s bedrooms, and the discomfort shared between the powerful older men controlling their fates. Will these young men continue to perform the toxic masculinity of their dressing rooms, or will the sport manage to accept the possibility of two of its star players sharing more than goals? – Jessi MacEachern