Aina Clotet's comedy 'Viva', known in English as 'Alive', tackles female sexuality and mortality but suffers from predictable character tropes. Known for her established work in Spanish cinema, Clotet serves as director, co-writer, and star.
Distribution and Reception
The film secured French distribution pre-Cannes by Haut et Court, indicating confidence in its appeal to its target demographic. Clotet unflinchingly portrays mastectomy scars, both physical and emotional, challenging familiar comedic bounds. However, its reliance on predictable characterizations detracts from its impact.
Plot and Themes
The film opens with a mammogram scene, setting the tone for its candid approach to taboo topics related to women's health. Nora, played by Clotet, faces a possible cancer recurrence but chooses denial over diagnosis. Surrounded by familiar yet unremarkable side characters, Nora's journey is marked by her struggle with life's messiness.
Her home life with eco-conscious partner Tom, played by Naby Dakhli, is juxtaposed with her flirtation with 20-year-old Max, portrayed by Marc Soler. The film captures Nora's vulnerability, especially in a scene where she reveals her mastectomy scar to Max, signaling a generational shift in acceptance.
Character Dynamics
'Viva' shines in moments where Clotet and Soler explore Nora's complex emotions and recklessness. The film's strength lies in Clotet's portrayal of a woman wrestling with personal chaos, despite the surrounding one-dimensional figures. Her interactions with her best friend Ari, played by Zaira Pérez, and her mother Sònia, played by Lloll Bertran, feel overly familiar and lack depth.
Nora's professional life as a researcher in cellular aging further distances her from the film's emotional core, making the narrative feel too neat. A montage of characters recounting events feels unnecessarily expository, detracting from Clotet's nuanced performance.
Conclusion and Critique
While Clotet's direction and performance bring grit and humanity to Nora, the film's shortcomings in character development and narrative depth limit its overall impact. 'Viva' tackles serious themes with humor but requires more than just lively moments to resonate fully.
Source: https://variety.com/2026/film/reviews/viva-review-2-1236747927/
