10,000 Km
Studio: Broad Green
Directed by Carlos Marques-Marcet
Jul 21, 2015
Web Exclusive
Alex and Sergi are head over heels in love, their relationship recently bolstered by the decision to start a family. However, not even the most stable of relationships is immune to disruption, which is exactly what the couple experiences when Alex is awarded a prestigious yearlong photography residency in Los Angeles. They argue back and forth about the opportunity (one Sergi hadn’t been aware of) before ultimately deciding to attempt a 365-day long-distance relationship in support of Alex’s career.
10,000 Km is wildly impressive on many levels, but what is most remarkably mind-blowing is that all of the above takes place over the course of a jaw dropping and inspiring 23-minute, uncut opening shot. The film opens with the couple, played by Natalia Tena and David Verdaguer, vigorously attempting to conceive. They remain in bed for the next few minutes, having some of the most honest and familiar pillow talk committed to film. Tena and Verdaguer’s chemistry is instantly believable, undeniable from the moment the film opens, which is why it’s so easy to spend six minutes with them in the boudoir without realizing the camera has once stopped rolling (and then another 98 minutes after that). As they get out of bed and begin to walk around their apartment, the shot continues, following Alex and Sergi through the motions that any couple experiences post-coitus (showering, changing, eating). It is not until they’ve committed to Alex’s trans-continental move that director Carlos Marques-Marcet employs a cut.
When the film resumes, Alex is in L.A., Sergi remains in Barcelona, and the couple’s communication (and much of the film) is relegated to Skype. They endearingly share as much of their daily lives with one another as possible, and Marques-Marcet brilliantly chooses life’s small moments to illustrate how the partners try to maintain the status quo. (A scene in which Sergi observes and advises as Alex cooks dinner for a party, as well as a date they have—each with his or her own dinner and wine—are but two of countless examples.) The trials of such prolonged separation take their toll, and both Tena and Verdaguer (the only cast members to appear on screen) shine as the relationship struggles.
10,000 Km will be instantly recognizable to any couple as a brutally honest and open look at love. As Alex and Sergi, Tena and Verdaguer are some of the most genuine and relatable lovers in recent cinema history. Once they’re apart, anyone who has had to deal with the extended absence of a partner, both facilitated and exacerbated by modern technology, will recognize how flawlessly the actors portray the frustration and longing the couple goes through. 10,000 Km is an unflinching, spot-on, perfectly acted modern love story, an essential depiction of relationships in the digital age.
Author rating: 8/10
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