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One night, the arrival of a young Herald definitively changes the daily life of the town
Chronology
Under a burning sky on the edge of a roadside on the coast of Ceará, Motel Destino is the scene of dangerous games of desire, power and violence. The sixth film by director Karim Aïnouz to have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, after Madame Satã (2002), O Abismo Prateado (2011), The Invisible Life of Eurídice Gusmão (2019), Marinheiro das Montanhas (2021) and Firebrand (2023).. Karim Aïnouz’s latest erotic thriller Motel Destino is a superb cinematic mix of desire, sex and crime.
This year, Motel Destino competed for both the Palme d’Or and the Queer Palme d’Or
Aïnouz is a Cannes favorite, and six of his films have premiered at the Cannes Film Festival so far. Located somewhere on the coast of Brazil, Motel Destino is a seedy sex motel characterized by neon lights. The hotel is run by Elias and his partner Dayana, who are indifferent to the world of sex and crime inside the motel.
He soon becomes part of the couple’s dynamic, disrupting the established order
They are so drawn into this world that Elias is often seen voyeuristically masturbating and covering up criminal activities to keep the police at bay. This is a place where guests don’t stay long and no one asks questions. One day, a young and attractive Heraldo comes to the motel with his criminal baggage.
The Herald’s close-up photos of his naked body show him as strong and fragile at the same time
The three main characters then embark on the third and final act of this queer noir film as they reach their destinies. The film is brilliantly shot, with intense, uncomfortable close-ups of the characters' faces trapped in their situations and sweaty bodies full of desire. Dayana is tender and eagerly waiting for someone to give her a glimmer of hope to escape from her abusive relationship with Elias.
The film’s color palette seamlessly shifts between neon reds and blues, red signifying the occupants’ carnal desires and blue representing the terrifying feeling of emptiness that follows the excitement
With Motel Destino focusing on raw emotions and carnal desires, masterfully shot with brilliant cinematography, there seems to be no intentional world-building at the outset, giving the audience a sense of detachment from society…. Worth watching… Adios…