Review: BONIFACIO (dir. Alberto Martín-Aragón and Julia Doménech)

Written, directed and performed by Alberto Martín-Aragón and Julia Doménech, BONIFACIO is a delightful and surprisingly moving black and white short that blends deadpan humor with emotional absurdity. True to the spirit of this brilliant duo's experimental work, the film embraces a playful and fragmented narrative form that feels both theatrical and cinematic.

At its heart, the film tells the story of Bonifacio, a man so overwhelmed by fear and self-doubt that he has confined himself within the four walls of his home. His ex-wife Catalina visits him and, in a continuous conversation that jumps from room to room and repeats in fractured sequences, she urges him to go on a trip. "You don’t need a plan," she tells him. "Just fill the tank. Go north, go south. Wherever you go, you go."

The editing is bold and experimental, using recurring shots and dialogues to create an almost looped rhythm that emphasizes Bonifacio’s internal paralysis. Their conversations are often hilarious in their exaggeration. Catalina offers to pay for his trip. He insists that he doesn’t like traveling because "on all my trips I’ve always had problems." She critiques his cooking, wants to call emergency services when he thinks he’s had a mini stroke, and still, somehow, keeps trying to help him, even though he insists that no one can.

What makes BONIFACIO shine is its ability to balance absurdity with compassion. Bonifacio is a ridiculous man, but never cartoonish. His fear is real, even when it’s funny. Catalina, on the other hand, is both exasperated and strangely loyal. Their chemistry is excellent, their timing sharp, and the refusal to ever fully face one another on screen only deepens the emotional undercurrent.

Once again, Martín-Aragón and Doménech prove their extraordinary ability to explore human emotion through experimentation. BONIFACIO is short, smart, funny, original and oddly touching. A gem of minimalist filmmaking with maximum impact.