All About the Feathers

In Neto Villalobos’ first feature film All About the Feathers, an impoverished security guard Chalo (Allan Cascante) acquires the fighting cock of his dreams, without any notion of how to actually care for it. He quickly discovers that a man with few resources is not welcome in his usual haunts—cheap hotels, city busses, at the workplace—when he’s carrying around a noisy, albeit handsome, rooster. Despite his struggles to find a place to shelter himself and his new acquisition, his unconditional admiration for his difficult companion, whom he names “Rocky,” only grows, and his devotion to his well-being attracts a circle of new human friends as well, who rally to help him succeed. This subtle, absurdist comedy hinges on the stellar performances of the cast, from the deadpan vulnerability of Casacante’s Chalo to the nurturing warmth of his new pal Candy (Sylvia Sossa), the eager cheerleading of youthful Erlan (Erlan Vasquez), and the frenetic solidarity displayed by his fellow security guard Jason (Marvin Acosta). Sedately paced, yet quietly observational, the near-documentary feel of this quixotic fiction is enhanced by the mostly non-professional cast and astute cinematography. –Nicole Gluckstern