Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (2023)
Directed by: Aitch Alberto
Premise: Based on the book by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Set in 1987, teenagers Aristotle and Dante (Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzalez) become close friends. Over time their feelings run deeper than that but Aristotle resists admitting the truth.
What Works: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is both a love story and a coming-of-age tale and it succeeds in both respects. The film is very well made. It’s smartly photographed and frames the characters in interesting ways that draw out the subtext. The film is set in 1987 and it looks convincingly of that period. The key to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is the relationship between the title characters. It isn’t clear at first that these guys are gay and that they will fall in love. That happens gradually and actors Max Pelayo and Reese Gonzalez are quite good at revealing their character’s feelings without having to say them aloud. Dante, played by Gonzalez, is more up front about his sexuality and he takes physical and emotional risks to live truthfully while Aristotle, played by Pelayo, is in denial which breeds violent resentment. The attraction between the two young men is palpable and Pelayo and Gonzalez make us want to see these guys sort out their feelings and be together. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is also a coming of age story and it has a credible tension between these teenagers and their parents, especially in Aristotle’s home. The picture deals with the expectations between parents and children and the way they talk past each other especially during the adolescent years. The depiction of Aristotle’s parents goes in some interesting places that evades some of the cliches of 1980s-set gay stories.
What Doesn’t: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe doesn’t live up to the second half of its title. Astronomy figures into a few scenes and the finale has some spectacular visuals but the metaphor is underutilized and underdeveloped. The universe has some interesting symbolic implications as it relates to these young men finding love and each other in the chaos of the world. The imagery just isn’t worked into the film enough and the ending, although visually impressive, doesn’t tie the story together. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is set in the 1980s which was a very homophobic period and this film is yet another story about gay men navigating a perilous time. The filmmakers tell this story well but the picture retreads the overly familiar gay victimhood narrative without doing much that is new.
Bottom Line: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe succeeds as a romance and a coming-of-age story. The film may not fully exploit the implications of its title but it does have an involving relationship with compelling characters who have complex interior lives.
Episode: #965 (September 17, 2023)