The perfect movie is entertaining and informative. Disco, Ibiza, Locomía checks these boxes thanks to a story based on real-life events.
Telling the unbelievable story of the Spanish disco group Locomía, a strong cast elevates the film I would never have thought would get together in my wildest dreams.
Disco, Ibiza, Locomía gathers some of the hottest Spanish-speaking actors to portray the characters from the group who were just as hot.
I refrained from researching the group before watching the film, and one of my greatest quips was that there was no way Locomía members were this hot. Newsflash: they were.
Jaime Lorente leads the cast, which includes Alejandro Speitzer (Straight), Pol Granch (Elite), Ivan Pellicer (Holy Family), Albert Baro (Merli), Javier Mongade (The Girl In the Mirror), Alberto Amman, and Blanca Suarez (Breathless).
Told throughout a depositional hearing, the film chronicles the group’s early days, heyday, and post-fame.
The Bad
Structuring the story around a deposition is the greatest issue since it feels rushed.
Telling an expansive story in less than two hours would never win for any film, but once everything gets underway, one can almost forget the problem.
The second issue is the casting decision, Lorente especially.
He’s been known for playing macho guys in shows like Elite and Money Heist, and seeing him play a queer character was almost unconvincing.
Locomía was made up of queer guys who had no qualms about their sexuality. They celebrated everything about themselves, from their desire to mannerisms.
As Xavi Font, Lorente puts on an air of femininity to better reflect the character, which teeters on the verge of offense.
We can’t presume to know his sexuality. Still, whenever a straight actor (or potentially so) plays a gay character and just leans into the stereotypes, then audiences start to get uncomfortable.
This is why James Corden‘s performance in Ryan Murphy‘s The Prom was widely panned despite this not being a new thing really — that and fatphobia.
The Good
But like most problems with the film, everything comes together in the end, which is also forgivable.
Lorente doesn’t overperform the character’s femininity; thus, it doesn’t scream “caricature.”
As the film transitions to the emotional parts of the character, this is where he shines. It now becomes clear why he was cast in the role.
The rest of the cast submerges themselves in their characters, tweaking their mannerisms to match.
If the members of Locomía behaved as they were portrayed, it was a remarkable acting feat for the cast to succeed in making them that authentic.
Disco, Ibiza, Locomía tells a story that feels like this is what movies should be about.
It is a story about queer underdogs who, against all odds, achieved something great despite the monumental challenges.
These are not the kinds of stories we used to get a few years ago, which is a testament to how far the film has come.
Using a deposition as the vehicle to drive the narrative home is a risky choice that ultimately pays off.
For one, it risks alienating the viewer early since the ending doesn’t seem good if the characters are stuck at a deposition.
However, it allows honest storytelling, as each character speaks from their perspective, which would not have been achieved if the story had been told for them.
The story plays out in a typical manner about superstars with secrets and the eventual falling out.
The group seems to have been headed for great things but in the immediate fell victim to jealousy, hubris, and capitalism.
There are other larger issues, such as love, complexes, and homophobia, but these are touched on in passing, hence the feeling of being rushed.
Well, How Gay Is It?
What happens when you put hot, young, queer men in one room? Anything and everything gay.
Telling the story of several gay men, there was no way it couldn’t be gay.
The characters are an eclectic bunch, which works for them in some ways and doesn’t in others.
What’s refreshing about how the film portrays them is that it allows them to be happy. Homophobia is an issue currently, so one can’t imagine living through a time like that, yet the film doesn’t dwell on that.
It makes them dimensionally interesting instead of turning them into vehicles for trauma and suffering.
Most of the characters are a joy to watch, and their happiness, dreams, and desires seem genuine.
There is an infectious attribute to the film, which starts with the characters and is elevated by disco.
Who Can Resist Disco?
Viewers who are disco fans and watch this film without hearing (at least as much as they can tell) anything by Locomía will appreciate how well the music is done.
This writer is one of those people, and hearing their music drop in a well-crafted scene gave me euphoria.
Seriously, why did disco go out of fashion? It invented fashion in itself.
Disco, Ibiza, Locomía can easily pass for the most fun movie of the year. The only problem is that it doesn’t run for at least eight hours.
Someone should make it into a TV series, even if it’s limited.
Verdict
Fun, gay, gay, fun, disco! Disco, Ibiza, Locomía is phenomenally written, acted, and directed. It is a film worth revisiting for more plays.