The Girl in the Stone

A common problem with independent films is the amount of time that is spent collecting performances from the actors. Because of low budgets, there are moments when a scene that should be re-shot, isn’t. This leads to looks of surprise when a look of resignation would be better. And scenes that seem off-kilter and disconnected from the rest. These problems are especially compounded by the use of non-professional actors, such as in The Girl in the Stone.

Made in rural Mexico in response to “the mounting problem of violence against young women,” the film follows along as its teenage protagonist makes a series of oddly timed mistakes. Gabino is in love, but see, he’s also stupid. His girlfriend dumps him and he doesn’t get it, he just blindly keeps trying, eventually becoming tragically obsessed. The story is something we’ve heard before: Maty doesn’t want a physical relationship, Gabino does, and it doesn’t work out. What are weird are Gabino’s decisions after getting dumped. It’s a mixture of groveling apology and vicious molestation, egged on by his friends. First he tries the apology route and, of course, nothing happens. Then his friends convince him to “bring her down a peg” by agreeing to grab her while he looks out for the teacher. Um, what? I don’t care where you are from, this line of thought doesn’t make sense–at all. Gabino then goes back to groveling mode and Maty (understandably) rebuffs him. This leads to yet more insane behavior.

This story would be hard to make understandable even if real actors were used, but with the current cast it just seems silly. Yes, young kids who are in love do stupid things sometimes. Maybe that’s the point of this movie. Maybe the point is that rural Mexico is a hellhole of stupid people. I don’t think that’s true, but that’s almost the point the director makes, even if by accident.

The Girl in the Stone also highlights the importance of a score and soundtrack to a film. It suffers because there are no sounds other than the actors speaking and other extraneous background noise. In a film that already suffers from detachment based on performances, the lack of music creates an extreme distance from the audience. It’s a movie, so we’re not part of it anyway, but the silence is jarring.

Overall, The Girl in the Stone seems like a very underdeveloped film. Tighter editing, better performances and a musical score of any type would push this film into more watchable territory. As it stands, The Girl in the Stone isn’t enough of anything to be a worthwhile match.

The last days of the Portland International Film Festival:

Thursday, Feb. 22My Grandmother’s House (Spain) 5 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Hula Girls (Japan) 5:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Madeinusa (Peru) 6 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

The Method (Spain) 6 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Sighs from the Heart (Spain) 6:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Fay Grim (United States) 6:30 p.m., Cinema 21

Play (Chile)7:15 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Summer Palace (China) 8:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Dreaming by the Numbers (Netherlands) 8:45 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

The Secret Life of Words (Spain) 8:45 p.m., Whitsell Hall

The Magician (Mexico) 9 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Lights in the Dusk (Finland) 9:15 p.m., Cinema 21

Blessed By Fire (Argentina) 9:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Friday, Feb. 23The Violin (Mexico) 4:45 p.m., Whitsell Hall Red Road (Great Britain) 5 p.m., Cinema 21

The Girl in the Stone (Mexico) 5 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Chronicle of An Escape (Argentina) 7:15 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

More Than Anything in the World (Mexico) 7:15 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Starter For Ten (Great Britain) 7:30 p.m., Cinema 21

Lights in the Dusk (Finland) 9:30 p.m., Cinema 21

Rough Winds (Spain) 9:30 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Sighs from the Heart (Spain) 9:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Saturday, Feb. 24Fay Grim (United States) 12 p.m., Cinema 21

The Citrillo’s Turn (Mexico) 12:15 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Play (Chile) 12:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Chronicle of An Escape (Argentina) 2:45 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Trade (United States) 2:45 p.m., Cinema 21

Barrio Cuba (Cuba) 3 p.m., Broadway Metroplex More Than Anything in the World (Mexico) 5:15 p.m., Whitsell Hall

The Violin (Mexico) 5:30 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Rescue Dawn (United States) 5:30 p.m., Cinema 21

Summer Palace (China) 7:45 p.m., Broadway Metroplex

Red Road (Great Britain) 8 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Private Fears in Public Places (France) 8:15 p.m., Cinema 21

Sunday, Feb. 25Beauty In Trouble (Czech Republic) 11 a.m., Whitsell Hall

Play (Chile) 11 a.m., Cinema 21

The Secret Life of Words (Spain) 1:15 p.m., Cinema 21

Border Cafe (Iran) 1:30 p.m., Whitsell Hall

Madeinusa (Peru) 3:45 p.m., Cinema 21

Mystic Ball (Canada) 4 p.m., Whitsell Hall