One night, the arrival of young Heraldo definitively transforms the daily life of the place
Synopsis
Under the burning sky on a roadside on the coast of Ceará, Motel Destino is the scene of dangerous games of desire, power and violence. Sixth film directed by Karim Aïnouz to receive its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, following Madame Satã (2002), O Abismo Prateado (2011), Nevidljivi život Eurídice Gusmão (2019), Marinheiro das Montanhas (2021), and Firebrand (2023).. Karim Aïnouz’s latest erotic thriller Motel Destino is a delicious cinematic mix of desire, sex, and crime.
This year, Motel Destino competed for both the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palm
Aïnouz is a Cannes favorite, with six of his films having premiered at the Cannes Film Festival until now. Set somewhere on the coast of Brazil, Motel Destino is a dingy sex motel characterized by neon lights. The hotel is run by Elias and his partner Dayana, who are indifferent to the world of sex and crime within the motel.
He soon becomes a part of the couple’s dynamic, disrupting the established order
They are sucked into this world so much that Elias is often found voyeuristically self-pleasuring and covering up criminal acts to keep the police at bay. This is a place where no guests stay for long, and no one asks any questions. One day, the young and attractive Heraldo arrives at the motel, bringing his own criminal baggage.
Heraldo’s close-up shots of his naked body depict him as both strong and fragile at the same time
The three principal characters then venture into the third and final act of this queer noir film as they reach their destinies. The film is brilliantly shot, with intense, uncomfortable close-ups of the characters' faces trapped in their situations, and sweaty bodies pumping with desire. Dayana has a tenderness and is eagerly waiting for someone to give her a glimmer of hope to escape her abusive relationship with Elias.
The film’s color palette seamlessly switches between neon red and blue, red signifying the carnal desires of the occupants, and blue representing the dreadful feeling of emptiness that follows the highWith Motel Destino focusing on raw emotions and carnal desires, masterfully captured through brilliant cinematography, the somewhat lack of world-building in the beginning seems intentional, giving the audience a sense of detachment from society
Worth Watching… Adios…