The Delay

María lives with her three school-age children and 80-year-old father, Agustín. It’s clearly a struggle for her to make ends meet and to juggle all of her commitments. Agustín has periods of lucidity, but his mental deterioration is such that Maria explores the possibility of his either living with another relative or moving into some kind of care facility. When both of these options seem imposible, María makes a drastic decision.

Selected as Uruguay’s entry for the 2013 Academy Awards, Rodrigo Plá’s narrative accuracy gets audiences involved in this simple story with no false notes. Far from the notion of dysfunctional family American cinema has transformed into a tight system of clichés, The Delay moves far beyond the realm of black and white, employing a subtle variation of grays, underlining what becomes the film’s central theme: the intense, painful ambivalence of family responsibility.

THE DELAY IS ONE OF THE MANY FILMS INCLUDED IN THE CATALOGUE OF SPANISH FILM CLUB. SFC AFFILIATED UNIVERSITIES CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A SPECIAL PRICE OF $99 IF THE TITLE HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THEIR SFC FESTIVAL. PLEASE CONTACT SFC STAFF AT FILMCLUB@PRAGDA.COM FOR MORE DETAILS.

WHAT SFC AFFILIATED UNIVERSITIES ARE SAYING
“The audience really liked this movie about the problems facing different generations living in the same household, and how their relationship mirrors the same problems the society in general is facing. ” – Luis Flores-Portero, Lecturer, Monmouth University

“Members of the audience were touched by the hard choices an urban society faces when obtaining long-term care for their elderly. ” – Alexandra Garcia, The University of Texas at El Paso

“A powerful, realistic drama about an impaired old man and the daughter who cares for him, this is not only a closely observed psychological portrait of the relations between them but more than that, a moving social study of penury at work destroying the fabric of a family.” – Dan Fainar, SCREEN DAILY

“Indeed, while the Montevideo we see in The Delay is a grubby, dilapidated city, painted in unhealthy, mildew shades of gray and blue, community spirit is alive and well here, with people looking out for each other in what’s clearly a cold climate both economically and heat-wise (and where humor of any kind is decidedly thin on the ground).” – Neil Young, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

“Carlos Vallarino and Roxana Blanco offer up moving yet underplayed perfs as a father and daughter who find themselves in a desperate situation wrought with finely nuanced emotional brushstrokes.” – VARIETY

“A wonderful lesson in humanity that leaves you shaken.” – LE MONDE

“A beautiful film of distress and love, played with great accuracy.” – LE FIGARO

“Sober and modest, La Demora demonstrates the presence of a true filmmaker.” – CAHIERS DU CINEMA

“A beautiful film about family and intergenerational relations.” – PELERIN

“A powerful film and sensitive story beautifully interpreted and very cleverly done.” – LES FICHES DU CINEMA

“A delicate film of a beautiful simplicity yet expressive.” – LA CROIX

“The careworn, drawn face of Maria, a single mother raising three school-age children in a cramped, dingy apartment with her increasingly confused elderly father, communicates every element of this small but elegant film...Set in Montevideo, this unsparing look at the modern realities of getting old in a world without a social safety net has global application.” – Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Library, Pittsburgh, PA, EMRO