Fauna

Directed by Nicolás Pereda, Fauna follows Luisa Pardo’s Luisa as she and her boyfriend (Francisco Barreiro’s Paco) arrive at her parents house for a few days – with the uneventful film detailing the small-scale happenings that ensue. There’s ultimately little doubt that Fauna fares best in its unassuming yet surprisingly engaging first half, as filmmaker Pereda, working from his own screenplay, does an effective job of establishing the appealing central characters and placing them in a series of awkward conversations and encounters – with, for example, a hilarious (and undeniably cringeworthy) scene wherein Paco, a fledgling actor, is made to perform for Luisa’s brother (Lázaro Gabino Rodríguez’s Gabino) and father standing as the picture’s obvious high water mark. It’s disappointing to note, that, that the affable atmosphere disappears almost completely past a certain point, as Pereda abandons the previously-established heroes and instead explores the exploits of several characters within the book being read by Gabino – with the less-than-captivating nature of this stretch, when coupled with a predictably baffling finale, ensuring that Fauna ends with a distressingly palpable whimper. It’s a shame, certainly, given the strength of the film’s compellingly oddball setup and assortment of agreeable protagonists, although, to be fair, Fauna‘s running time of 70 minutes prevents it from running out of steam entirely.

**1/2 out of ****