“Pet Shop Days” captures the unruly lives of its protagonists, two young men from different worlds who cross paths in New York. Their impulsive and tumultuous existence becomes a whirlwind of sex, drugs, crime, and questionable choices. Olmo Schnabel, in his directorial debut and as co-writer, immerses the audience in the edgy hedonism of his characters, offering a glimpse into a world where self-destruction is a constant companion. However, the film’s rebellious spirit, the feeling that it could veer off in countless directions, is somewhat overshadowed by the director’s stylistic choices, which come across as more self-indulgent than adventurous.
Olmo Schnabel, the son of the Oscar-nominated director and painter Julian Schnabel, presents “Pet Shop Days” at the Venice Film Festival. The film boasts a notable supporting cast, including Emmanuelle Seigner, Maribel Verdu, Peter Sarsgaard, and Willem Dafoe. With its low-budget, handheld cinematography by Hunter Zimny, shot in gritty 16mm, the film appeals to the hip arthouse crowd that appreciates complex characters and narratives rich in atmosphere, even if the plot is somewhat loose.
Dario Yazbek Bernal plays Alejandro, who leaves his affluent Mexican family behind and escapes to the Bronx, where he meets Jack (co-writer Jack Irv), a local struggling with his own family issues. Instantly drawn to Alejandro’s charisma and confidence, Jack, initially unaware of Alejandro’s emotional volatility, is introduced to a twisted world of orgies, neon-lit strip clubs, and casual drug use. Eventually, Jack becomes romantically involved with the bisexual Alejandro, and together, they embark on a risky journey, breaking into wealthy people’s homes, all in pursuit of a fresh start. However, their impulsive and tumultuous love affair may prove to be their downfall.
Schnabel draws inspiration from gritty New York films of the 1970s, painting a vivid but impressionistic portrait of the city as a den of dark pleasures where Alejandro leads Jack astray. The film challenges viewers by refusing to make its protagonists conventionally likable, forcing us to confront Alejandro’s relentless arrogance and verbal abuse, as well as Jack’s self-pity and timidity. Their toxic relationship is marked by anger, codependency, and bursts of violence, and “Pet Shop Days” is hypnotic in its non-judgmental exploration of these damaged and spoiled individuals ill-prepared for adult life or a healthy relationship.
Yazbek Bernal embodies the same carnal allure as his half-brother Gael Garcia Bernal, portraying Alejandro as a sexual predator who devours anyone attractive in his path. Despite his frequent outbursts and manipulation, Alejandro remains a captivating but monstrous character, offering insight into why Jack tolerates his mistreatment. Irv portrays Jack as a vulnerable and needy soul who prefers working at a struggling pet store over accepting help from his wealthy but dysfunctional parents. It’s evident that Jack has been searching for something, perhaps just self-acceptance of his sexuality, and Alejandro’s passionate whirlwind provides that sense of belonging.
However, as the film delves deeper into the characters’ misanthropic tendencies, it occasionally lapses into artistic self-indulgence. There’s a fine line between presenting amoral behavior and reveling in it, and Schnabel sometimes fails to strike the right balance, allowing Alejandro and Jack’s transgressions to become repetitive. The star-studded supporting cast also falls into this trap, with Sarsgaard delivering an affected performance as a strip-club owner and Dafoe and Seigner exaggerating their roles as a bitter couple. In contrast, Verdu shines as Alejandro’s mother, who shares an unusually close bond with him.
In the latter part of the film, Schnabel introduces a thriller element when Alejandro’s father dispatches a trusted enforcer (portrayed with eerie impassivity by Louis Cancelmi) to track down his son. “Pet Shop Days” at its best moments offers dreamy, blurred visuals that evoke a fractured fairy tale of true love amidst a decaying and morally corrupt metropolis. The film’s enchantment can be potent, but it is easily shattered by a filmmaker who celebrates his characters’ rejection of societal norms but struggles to find poetry in their rebellion.
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