MY MASTERPIECE (MI OBRA MAESTRA) Celebrates a Lifelong Friendship Amidst The Tempest Of The Modern Art World5 min read

Reading Time: 4 minutes

Arturo is an unscrupulous art dealer and Renzo his socially-awkward painter and longtime friend. Willing to risk it all, they develop an extreme and ludicrous plan to save themselves.

Director: Gastón Duprat

Cast: Guillermo Francella, Luis Brandoni, Raul Arevalo, Andrea Frigerio, Maria Soldi, Alejandro Paker, Pablo Ribba, Roberto Peloni, Mucio Manchini, Julio Marticorena, 

Year: 2018

Country: Argentina

Language: Spanish

Runtime: 105 minutes

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Like most art, My Masterpiece is challenging and abrasive. Most of its characters are cold and its theme somewhat nihilistic. Yet, these grey tones served as the perfect complement for a film that, at its heart, is an ode to lifelong friendship and an artist’s bold endeavour to untangle art from capitalism.

Directed by Gastón Duprat, My Masterpiece begins with a phone call between gallery owner Arturo Silva (Guillermo Francella) and once-famous artist Renzo Nervi (Luis Brandoni). The audience is hastily keyed in on the details: Arturo struggles to sell Renzo’s art, blaming the artist’s stubbornness to evolve with the times, both with his work and the world beyond it. 

That is if Renzo even believes that there is a world beyond his paintings. At the start, Renzo fits the bill as a struggling artist and misunderstood genius to a T. The scruffy artist is self-obsessed and constantly rages against the machine, much to his own detriment and to the chagrin of his lifelong buddy and manager, Arturo. 

Brandoni nails his performance of the artist. Even as a loathsome figure, Brandoni infuses his character with just enough madness through his body language and expressions to keep him interesting. For Renzo to shift from unlikeable to sympathetic by the film’s end is both a testament to Brandoni’s range as an actor, as well as the script’s clean navigation of the numerous twists and turns.

The friendship between Renzo and Arturo serves as the backbone of My Masterpiece. Francella’s Arturo captivates as the yin to Renzo’s yang, jabbering with endless quips that keep the film humorous. While practical and morally ambiguous, Arturo has never given up on his friend despite the troubles and costs Renzo has incurred for him over the years. 

Together, they hatch a plan to both mock capitalism’s entanglement with art, and to make a profit out of it all. While the film’s script does make healthy efforts, the strong chemistry between both actors are more than enough to show the profound history between the pair.

With their chemistry as its consistent driver, the film presents incisive commentary on art’s lost spirit in the shadow of capitalism. Looking to find commissioned work for his friend, Arturo suggests to a corporate bigwig that Renzo could work on an “original work” that is “made-to-order” for his company’s image and needs. 

The contradictions in Arturo’s statement is a succinct representation of the film’s biting theme. The film also makes a point to criticise the art world’s fascination with posthumous fame, expressed through Renzo and Arturo’s ploy. The ploy’s twist may not surprise anyone, but it was still an interesting exploration of a likely scenario, succeeding in showing how farcical the modern art world can get without coming off as pretentious. 

The vivid interior world of Buenos Aires serves as much of the backdrop of My Masterpiece, with muted colours matching the film’s sharp, dry humour. Its collection of medium shots is contrasted with the sparse close-ups of Renzo and his art pieces, lending intimacy to the process while helping the audience sympathise with the artist. The film’s soundtrack deserves commendation as well, with driving backbeats and swelling synths creating an atmospheric and almost seductive feel in its dive into the art world. 

Overall, I found My Masterpiece to succeed more as a celebration of a once-in-a-lifetime friendship than as a sharp critique of the modern art world. Perhaps the film’s title doesn’t refer to any of Renzo’s work or to Arturo’s success, and that their masterpiece is the unshakable bond that they have both forged. 

Have a look at the trailer here: