Review of Tony Manero (2008) by Andrew T — 23 Apr 2009

How much do you like Saturday Night Fever? I mean, really like it? Raul Peralta clearly does, enough to take him to extreme measures. Set in 1970s Chile, under Pinochetâ??s dictatorship, Tony Manero follows the life of Raul Peralta as he and his dance troupe put on a stage performance of Saturday Night Fever.

Striving for perfection to create a perfect reconstruction of the film, Raul takes extreme actions to make his vision a reality. A psychological drama, Pablo Larrainâ??s piece has been heavily compared to Scorseseâ??s Taxi Driver, though comparisons to King of Comedy are also apparent, with Raul living in a fantasy world, obsessed with his hero.

Tony Manero, however, has more political undertones, with Raulâ??s obsession with Travoltaâ??s character a link to fantasy and escapism under Pinochetâ??s regime, as well as the influence of American imports on South America, though this political edge is kept more metaphorical with direct reference to the Pinochet regime in the background in television and radio, as well as Raulâ??s dance troupeâ??s secret political allegiances.

Obviously, Raulâ??s talents are limited, leaving his ability to emulate his idol lacking, as well as his sexual performance, leading to some intense scenes of poor sexual performance and masturbation.

Tony Manero creates a disturbing picture into an obsessive mind, as well as an image of life in 1970s Chile. The use of blurred imagery adds to this effect, to create a distorted view of the world, with an ending that offers little for the future.