By Robert St. Martin
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 7/12/23 – This year’s Outfest Los Angeles opens this Thursday, July 13, with Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, Aitch Alberto’s directorial debut. This is a film crafted with love and a charming cast – a sweet coming-of-age story, grounded by its strong lead performances by its actors. The film is based on Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s Young Adult novel about two teenage Mexican American boys in 1987 El Paso, Texas, who explore a new, unusual friendship and the difficult road to self-discovery. Newcomers Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzales star as Aristotle and Dante, whose characters bond over their very classical-sounding names.
Fifteen-year-old Ari (short for Aristotle) is spending his days alone during the summer at the outdoor pool, telling his mother Liliana (Ozark’s Veronica Falcón) and Father Jaime (Eugenio Derbez) that he’s taking swimming lessons, but he’s actually unsuccessfully attempting to teach himself. He feels despondent and isolated, both at school – where he’s distanced himself from the other kids because he doesn’t fit in. In Sáenz’s novel, Ari is quietly intellectual, continually reading rather complex books (e.g., Conrad’s Heart of Darkness) and writing down his thoughts in his journal. At home, his father Jaime Mendoza who served in the Vietnam War does not talk much and his mother Liliana, a high school teacher, do not mention the permanent elephant in the room that has created an emotional rift, increasing family tension. Ari’s brother is in prison; his photographs have been taken down and he’s never mentioned. Without knowing any of the details of what happened, Ari fears that he’ll become like his absent older sibling or turn into his uncommunicative mailman father.
Dante Quintana is articulate, smart, and caring. His parents are quite different from Ari’s. Sam Quintana (Kevin Alejandro, from Fire Country) is a kind-hearted university English professor and his mother Soledad (Eva Longoria) very relaxed yet supportive of Dante, their only child. Dante’s different view of the world changes Ari as an unusual friendship develops. They quickly become close friends as Dante tries to pull Ari out of his comfort zone and get him to open up about his past and hopes for the future.
Dante teaches Ari to swim and introduces him to his favorite poetry (William Carlos Williams) and his favorite music, as they share their philosophies on life and their thoughts about their shared Mexican American identities. Early on, we hear the poignant, defiantly hopeful sound of Smalltown Boy by Bronski Beat, one of the finest songs about an aspect of the queer experience. At one point the two boys drive out into the desert, away from the city’s light pollution, to take in the stars on an idyllic camping trip with Dante’s more cultured middle-class parents, Soledad and Sam, who welcome Ari into their family.
Their bond of love is palpable and the way that they look at one another suggests that there’s a mutual attraction that goes beyond friendship. Director Alberto captures the heightened emotions of teenagers and the thrill of discovering so much for the first time. Then, unexpectantly, Dante has to leave at the end of the summer for his dad’s temporary university position in Chicago. Yes, as the song by Bananarama comes on, we know “it will be a long, cruel summer.” Before Dante leaves for Chicago, he tells Ari that the two things he loves most in the world are swimming and Ari. However, Ari says that he should not tell him those things, even if they are true. The two boys promise each other that they will still be friends when Dante returns in the following summer.
Ari, who is jokingly referred to as “more Mexican” than Dante, is plagued with the concept of machismo, which prevents him from being honest about his emotions toward Dante. Dante’s and Ari’s variation in their cultural identities is one of the most unique things about the novel, as it is not just a queer story but a story about the effects of cultural perceptions of the queer community. The author of the novel, Benjamin Alire Sáenz, makes it a point to critique the way most Mexicans perceive the LGBTQ+ community. Meanwhile, this theme is pushed to the back in the film, and it only plays a role in shaping the relationship between Ari and Dante instead of defining them as individuals.
It is important to remember the story is set in 1987 at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the US, and Ari catches a glimpse of his parents watching ACT UP activist Peter Staley on the TV news, talking about the group’s latest urgent action in a year when Reagan had finally made his first major speech addressing the pandemic. It’s a backdrop that’s crucial to the film in its exploration of the violent repercussions of the intense homophobia amplified by reactions to AIDS by politicians and the media, and how toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia can manifest itself in extreme ways with tragic consequences.
Over the school year, the boys try to keep in touch by letter, but as the boys turn sixteen, they start to grow and learn more about themselves and their sexuality. Dante, who was already very lively and cultured due to his English professor father, comes to terms with his sexuality faster than Ari, but that doesn’t mean it was easy for him. Ari, on the other hand, comes from a family that doesn’t tend to talk about their emotions. Their response to Ari’s brother’s time in prison showcases this the most. Whereas the book is a rather intellectual look at young love as a taboo in an underrepresented community, the film comes across as more of a teen romance. than a coming-of-age story and the complexities of growing up queer in a Mexican American community. I do recommend Benjamin Alire Sáenz’s novel, which is more than appropriate for adult readers as well – it is a beautifully-written tale worth your time.
For Aitch Alberto as a film director, Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is “a dream come true.” Aitch Alberto, who identifies as They/Them, is an accomplished writer and has made of number of well-received short films. For Alberto, the making of this film “has been a life journey and I can’t wait to share this piece of my heart with the world. I can only hope audiences of all kinds see themselves in the film and that it ignites feelings of hope and empathy – that it reminds them that love sometimes, and in face often, comes in unexpected forms.” Aristotle and Dante deserves to be seen by a wide audience. The film was blessed with high-profile producers such as Hamilton writer Lin-Manuel Miranda and Kyra Sedgwick (who recently produced queer horror They/Them). Blue Fox plans to release the film in theatres beginning September 6.
There are still tickets available for the screening of Aristotle and Dante at the Opening Night Gala of Outfest Los Angeles on July 13, 7:00 PM, at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles. For tickets and more information, go to: www.outfest.org.