Fondo del mar, El (2003)

Director:

Damián Szifron

Writer:

Damián Szifron (writer)

Release Date:

28 August 2003 (Argentina)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot:

Toledo (Daniel Hendler), 25 years old, future architect, suffers from an acute jealousy. He cannot concentrate on his job nor on his studies...

Plot Keywords:

Jealousy | Love

Awards:

12 wins & 9 nominations

Cast

Daniel Hendler	...	Ezequiel Toledo
Gustavo Garzón	...	Aníbal
Dolores Fonzi	...	Ana
Ramiro Agüero	...	Altclas
Ignacio Mendi	...	Rolandelli
José Palomino Cortez	...	Máximo
Rafael Filipelli	...	Filipelli
Mercedes Halfon	...	Voz en el teléfono
Diego Peretti	...	Cómico 1
Alejandro Fiore	...	Cómico 2
Marcos Woinsky
Gabriel Fernández	...	Joven Arquitecto
Daniel Valenzuela	...	Valenzuela
Claudio Rissi	...	Taxista
Mariela Fernández
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Luis Albornoz	...	Voz Locutor Documental
Coco Álvarez	...	Compañero Buceo
Miguel Ángel Álvarez	...	Encargado Bar 2
Miguel Ángel Álvarez	...	Encargado Bar 2
Jessica Bacher	...	Voz Operador 110
Marita Ballesteros	...	Voz Madre Ana
Max Chung	...	Nakatomi
Gustavo Cozzetti	...	Muchacho Lavadero 1
Teodelina de Carabassa	...	Chica Puerto Pirámides
Yuriy Degtiar	...	Húngaro 2
Jorge D'Elía	...	Indij
Pasta Dioguardi	...	Encargado Bar 1
Cacho Espíndola	...	Voice of police officer
Silvia Ferrando	...	Chica en la calle 2
José Freue	...	Cajero Lavadero
Mario Galvano	...	Capitán Barco
Jorge Alberto Gómez	...	Policía Hotel 1
Cintia Goulu	...	Cajera Supermercado 2
Sabrina Grosman	...	Cajera Supermercado 1
Jorge Jiménez	...	Pintor 1
Gustavo Kamenetzky	...	Mozo Lavadero
Jimena La Torre	...	Paula
María Marull	...	Chica en la calle 1
Marcos Metta	...	Guardia de Seguridad
Natalia Milazzo	...	Voz Recepcionista 1
Norberto Minichilo	...	Baterista
Norberto Miserisky	...	Policia Lavadero
Sebastian Perillo	...	Vendedor de Café
Jorge Perversi	...	Compañero Buceo
Hugo Fernando Rojas	...	Pintor 2
Marcela Ruiz	...	Voz Madre Toledo
Néstor Sánchez	...	Hombre 4x4
Humberto Serrano	...	Lichmann
Chang Sung King	...	Traumalólogo
Fernando Sureda	...	Policia Hotel 2
Diego Topa	...	Botones
Lionel Uberman	...	Voz Conmutador Estudio
Martín Vanegas	...	Muchacho Lavadero 2
Diamela Viani	...	Moza Bar
Manuel Vicente	...	Detective
Iván Villalba	...	Compañero Buceo
Julia Villalba	...	Compañera Buceo
Natasha Villalba	...	Compañera Buceo
Juan Vitali	...	Voz Agente de Viajes

Directed by
Damián Szifron

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Damián Szifron		writer

Produced by
Sebastian Aloi	....	executive producer
Sebastian Aloi	....	producer
Nathalie Cabiron	....	executive producer
Damián Cukierkorn	....	executive producer
Diana Frey	....	associate producer
Fiona Heine	....	line producer
Guillermo Otero	....	associate producer
Lilia Scenna	....	assistant producer

Original Music by
Guillermo Guareschi

Cinematography by
Lucio Bonelli

Film Editing by
Nicolas Goldbart

Art Direction by
Lucia Onofri
Mariela Rípodas

Costume Design by
Roberta Pesci
Natalia Zubeldía

Makeup Department
Carolina Oclander	....	assistant makeup artist
Paula Righi	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Marcela Ávalos	....	production manager
Federico Noejovich	....	location production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Fernando Alcalde	....	assistant director
Inés Braun	....	assistant director
Nicolás García	....	second assistant director
Gabriel Medina	....	second assistant director
Celina Murga	....	assistant director
Walter Rippell	....	assistant director
Natalia Smirnoff	....	second assistant director

Sound Department
Marcos De Aguirre	....	sound director
Fernando Soldevila	....	sound
Jesica Suarez	....	sound director

Special Effects by
Franco Burattini	....	special effects

Camera and Electrical Department
Julián Catz	....	electrician
José María 'Pigu' Gómez	....	electrician
Esteban Herrera	....	electrician
Bill Nieto	....	camera operator
Juan Manuel Tizón	....	electrician

Editorial Department
Jorge Firdman	....	assistant editor

Other crew
María Soledad Laici	....	production assistant
Sebastian Perillo	....	production assistant
Ezequiel Rossi	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Aeroplano Cine
• Altamar Cine
• Toto Films
• Tresplanos Cine

Distributors

• Alfa Films (Argentina)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (2005) (USA) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2004) (Argentina) (DVD)
• LK-TEL (2004) (Argentina) (VHS)
• Stardis Pictures (2006) (Spain) (DVD)

Also Known As:

The Bottom of the Sea (USA)

Runtime:

Argentina:92 min

Country:

Argentina

Language:

Spanish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13

Filming Locations:

Patagonia, Argentina

Company:

Aeroplano Cine

A dud that pretends to be important

'Bottom of the Sea' is a maddeningly uneven and peculiar movie that starts with an interesting premise: immature boyfriend (Daniel Hendler) notices a man Gustavo Garzon) hidden under the bedroom apartment of his girlfriend (Dolores Fonzi), and then becomes obsessed with finding out who is he. He follows him relentlessly, encountering an array of mishaps as he goes. These mishaps are apparently supposed to be funny, but they're played with suspenseful music in the background. It's an odd incongruity.

Credulity is really strained in this film with Hendler's character, replete with heavy beard, a filthy t-shirt, scruffy jeans and shoes. He looks every inch a hobo, not exactly the ideal candidate to be surreptitiously following someone around the streets of Buenos Aires. One look at this guy and you'd remember him for weeks.

Another big problem is having Hendler and Garzon share most of the screen time, leaving the gorgeous and talented Fonzi about 15 minutes to play what basically amounts to a prop. It's a role that pretty well any actress could have played. Big mistake of omission by the director, because Hendler just can't carry this movie alone. (And I must ask: since Hendler really DOES look like an immature and irritating scruffy hobo, what in the world did a classy babe like the Fonzi character see in him in the first place?)

When we find out what the mystery character (Garzon) is really up to, there is no suspense, no real surprise, only an explanation. So the viewer is left to wonder: 'just what was that all about?' Basically, as far as I can tell, the film gave director Damian Szifron an excuse to make an allegorical film about the sea as the last refuge of hope and enlightenment for those lost in the world above. Immature architect Hendler envisions a sustainable, submerged city where people can find out 'who they really are'. Or something like that.

All in all, this is a confused movie that really doesn't know what it wants to be when it grows up. Very disappointing.