In Tótem (2023), newcomer Naíma Sentíes plays Sol, a little girl who we first meet taking her turn on a public toilet while her mother Lucía, played by Iazua Larios (Apocalypto; Sundown) makes her laugh by peeing in the sink. They’re shopping for a present. As they drive back, they joke about making wishes. “Should I tell you what it was?” “Tell me.” “I wished for Daddy not to die.”

“I WISHED FOR DADDY NOT TO DIE”

The grief of a family through the eyes of a little girl; that’s the game of Tótem, Mexico’s offering for Best International Film at the Oscars last year, now out on Blu-ray. Her mother, her aunts, her cousins, her grandfather, her father’s nurse, and of course, her father — the whole family is out of money and is trying to throw her father, played by novelist Mateo García Elizondo (Una cita con la Lady; Desierto), a final party before the end comes.

Naíma Sentíes as Sol in Lila Avilés’ TÓTEM. Image courtesy of Janus Films.

It’s stressful and hilarious as members of the family bicker, worry, prepare, and try to be understanding. It could be any holiday, but underneath it is a deeper sadness. Director Lila Avilés (The Chambermaid; Eye Two Times Mouth) makes it clear on the behind-the-scenes featurette that she sees story as a consequence of characters, and this approach shines through in Tótem’s excellent ensemble. Alberto Amador (Analema; Uthura), barely not a newcomer himself, sticks in the mind as the child’s grandfather. He’s a therapist struggling with his own baggage, and he has an electrolarynx that allows him to speak. He’s a great grump, leading with anger while trying to walk with calm. Two weeks on, I still see his furrowed brow and angry gaze when I close my eyes.

L-R: Mateo García Elizondo as Tonatiuh and Naíma Sentíes as Sol in Lila Avilés’ TÓTEM. Image courtesy of Janus Films.

Elizondo as the dying father and Teresa Sánchez (Prayers for the Stolen; The Chambermaid) as his nurse Cruz are also big standouts. Throughout the film, Sentíes’s Sol keeps asking to see her father, but the family keeps saying that he needs to rest. We see him before she does, and the performance is a stunning choice. I’ve seen people ignorant, indignant, resigned, and ambivalent about their impending death in films like this, but Elizondo is the first person to convince me that they’re embarrassed to be dying. The way his nurse manages his will to be seen as much as his symptoms is an incredibly emotionally intelligent performance. Awards ultimately mean very little, especially at this level, but if I’d had that chance to see the film last year, they both would have been on my best performance list.

Naíma Sentíes as Sol in Lila Avilés’ TÓTEM. Image courtesy of Janus Films.

The images are expertly composed with a lively sense of improvisation. The 4:3 aspect ratio brings a great sense of being trapped within this moment, unable to escape, just like the family. I’d bet that’s why Avilés chose to drain the film of most of its color, draining the joy from the family’s sham celebration, but like seeing a good bleach–process film made in the late 1990s, a correct choice can still be undercut by the trends of its moment. It’s easily mistaken for the type of desaturated, underexposed look other naturalistic filmmakers use when they’re afraid the viewing public might have fun watching their film. It’s a testament to Avilés’s direction that she can drain the joy from her characters’ world but still gift us some in ours.

Naíma Sentíes as Sol in Lila Avilés’ TÓTEM. Image courtesy of Janus Films.

Tótem’s emotional heart rests on the capable shoulder of Naíma Sentíes at a remarkably young age. Her final moments elevate the film to such a degree that it becomes one of the better entries in the Janus Contemporaries Blu-ray line. While this structural game of Sentíes’s point of view gives the film its power, it’s also what distances Tótem from the kind of emotional catharsis that the Oscars tend to reward. But that’s what makes it worth your time.

Tótem Special Features:

• Meet the Filmmakers, a new interview with director Lila Avilés
• Trailer

Available on Blu-ray and DVD September 10^th, 2024.

For more information, head to the official Janus Films Tótem webpage.
To purchase, head to the official Janus Contemporaries Tótem webpage.

Final Score: 4 out of 5.

Categories: Films To Watch, Home Release, Home Video, Recommendation, Reviews

Tags: Alberto Amador, Alpha Violet Production, comedy, drama, home reléase, home video, Iazua Larios, Janus Contemporaries, Janus Films, Juan Francisco Maldonado, Laterna Film, Lila Avilés, Limerencia Films, Marisol Gasé, Mateo García Elizondo, Montserrat Marañon, Naíma Sentíes, Paloma Productions, Saori Gurza, Tótem, Teresita Sánchez