MUBI is currently streaming the retrospective series Humor and Melancholy: The Cinema of Martín Rejtman, celebrating the work of the trailblazing Argentine auteur and master of deadpan humor. The series includes the feature films Rapado (1992), Silvia Prieto (1999), The Magic Gloves / Los guantes mágicos (2004), Two Shots Fired / Dos disparos (2017), and The Practice / La práctica (2023), as well as the short film Shakti (2019).
Known for his droll wit and screwball scenarios, director and novelist Rejtman will find humor where you least expect it. Rejtman’s films have a unique quality of feeling both familiar and surprising at every turn. His debut feature, Rapado, is now recognized as the film that ignited the New Argentine Cinema—a 1990s movement that revitalized the national film industry by focusing on human stories and giving voice to previously suppressed narratives.
Rejtman’s luminous and delightfully offbeat body of work is imbued with a sense of languid melancholy and mordantly deadpan humor. Frequently compared to directors like Jim Jarmusch, Aki Kaurismäki, and Robert Bresson, Rejtman’s seemingly simple yet meticulous style combines charm with warmth. His comedies are marked by originality—mordant, tender, and always unpredictable.
Rapado, presented in its recent restoration, is now considered a cult classic. It follows Lucio, a young man living with his parents, who drifts aimlessly around Buenos Aires after the theft of his motorcycle. The film’s minimalist deadpan style is timeless, offering a glimpse into Buenos Aires through the eyes of its detached protagonist.
In Silvia Prieto, Rosario Bléfari delivers an unforgettable performance in this eccentric comedy about a young woman’s quest for self-identity. When Silvia turns 27, she decides to change her life and, upon discovering other women with the same name, develops a bizarre obsession with the "other" Silvias in an attempt to unravel the riddle of her own identity.
The Magic Gloves is one of Rejtman’s funniest films, fueled by a stellar ensemble cast. This clever take on the mid-30s crisis offers a characteristically absurdist yet warm portrayal of Buenos Aires life, following a diverse cast of characters whose lives intersect in humorous and unexpected ways, particularly in the wake of Argentina’s financial crisis.
Two Shots Fired, Rejtman’s comeback after an 11-year hiatus, is a subversive and darkly comic masterpiece. The film begins with a 16-year-old boy, Mariano, who inexplicably shoots himself twice and survives. From there, Rejtman crafts an unpredictable narrative where life simply continues, filled with quirky, deadpan humor and subtle absurdities.
In the short film Shakti, Rejtman condenses his signature irony, humor, and warmth into a 19-minute gem. The story follows Federico, who, after his grandmother’s death, breaks up with his girlfriend, only to obsess over her surprising lack of distress. Filled with Rejtman’s trademark deadpan wit, Shakti is a minimalist delight.
Rejtman’s latest feature—premiered nine years after Two Shots Fired—explores midlife depression with a holistic sense of humor. In The Practice, starring Esteban Bigliardi of The Delinquents, comic scenarios flow effortlessly, with the flexibility of a seasoned yogi. The film follows Gustavo, an Argentine yoga instructor living in Chile, as he navigates the absurdities of life after a breakup and a stress-induced knee injury, with humor and unexpected twists.
