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One night, the arrival of young Heraldo changes the daily life of the place forever

Under a burning sky on a roadside on the coast of Ceará, Motel Destino is the scene of dangerous games of lust, power and violence. The sixth film by Karim Aïnouz, which celebrates its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival after Madame Satan (2002), The Silver Abyss (2011), Eurydice Gusman (2019), Sailor of the Mountains (2021) and Firebrand (2023). "Motel Destino" is a quiet but eventful erotic thriller with traces of a contemporary noir that tells a story about the need to escape and all the obstacles that such an escape entails. In this desperate desire to escape, one can find oneself trapped in other situations or find a place to stay and a destiny to fulfill.

His original plan was to complete one last crime assignment and move to São Paulo to find an honest job

Our hero, young Heraldo (Iago Xavier), finds both while using a motel in a desert area of ​​Ceará as a hideout to escape from a group of criminals because he botched a murder that turned out badly for a comrade. The motel of the title is run by a couple, middle-aged Elias (Fábio Asunção) and his wife Dayana (Nataly Rocha), he as manager and she as receptionist with multiple duties. In exchange for his help, Heraldo works at the motel, fixing electrical things or whatever needs to be fixed and cleaned. In this constellation of loners, Elias finds a hard-working friend on Heraldo and Dayana finds a new lover in a passionate affair that remains hidden from her husband as well as from the customers who frequent the place (barely seen, mostly heard through loud sexual moans in the background).

It's not as exciting as it could be, but it satisfies a little and excites a lot

Love blossoms between the new couple, but Heraldo still worries about his pals, who are on the run to find him. Karim Aïnouz's latest is captivating but not quite; sexy and daring, but with little thrills and a lot of unexpected humor. It's almost as if elements of film noir (loners, problematic and violent characters) have been adopted but set in a motel near the incredibly beautiful beaches of Ceará. The story has an emotional complexity, which is good, but you might be left feeling drained or like you gained or experienced little.

Another big appeal of "Destination Motel" is the acting

Basically, it's a film about the human element of hiding and how these characters deal with escaping dangerous situations, hiding from themselves and from others (as shown by Elias' small steps in "Heraldo") and ultimately any form of escape brings many unexpected results : passion, love, violence or death. Jago and Nataly made an interesting and sexually charged couple with great chemistry. Although I don't find his acting that strong and his way of delivering some lines is odd, I find him very suitable for the role. Heraldo is the center of attention for good reason, as he has the peculiar, sexy appeal of a common man that draws both women and men (we have a fourth employee at the hotel, played by Yuri Yamamoto, who is interested in Heraldo, however the script reduces him to the background with whispered lines and later a pivotal moment).

And then there's Fabio Assumption

For a newcomer, Iago was pretty good in the most daring sex scenes. What a performance, what a role! There's a whole generation that remembers him as the soap opera heartthrob from a few decades ago, and others who simply witnessed his decline some time ago. He doesn't make many films, but with this one he'll be unforgettable as a film actor too. https://webinar.sensesbit.com/queer-2024-full-movie-watch-subtitles/