‘Salt Water’ – Intense drama about a forbidden subject

“Salt Water” is a slow burner that deals with a very heavy subject. The film follows Jacobo (Luis Mario Jimenez), a 33-year-old living in a shabby house near the beach in Colombia. Jacobo is gay. He shares the house with a roommate, a “tenant with benefits,” he says. Though they sleep in separate rooms, Jacobo and his “tenant” indulge in sex from time to time.
Jacobo earns a modest living as a Yoga instructor, conducting his classes in the yard in front of his house. On the surface, Jacobo seems like an easygoing guy, satisfied with his life. But beneath the surface, tension boils. In the midst of his idyllic existence Jacobo reconnects with the much older Luis (Oskar Salazar Ruis), a Catholic priest facing charges of child molestation, accusations which he vehemently denies. Jacobo kicks his roommate out, and Luis moves in. Though their relationship is friendly and cordial (with a little sex thrown in) these are two men who have years of unresolved emotions to deal with.

“Salt Water” is a film that explores themes of trauma and forbidden connections. The pace is slow, the camera lingers on Jacobo for long stretches, which reveals the deep emotional scars he carries. It’s been many years since his childhood, yet he has not let go of the conflicting feelings of longing and resentment that are buried deep within him.

The screenplay, by Steven Morales Pineda, who also produced and directed the film, allows the audience to peek inside the souls of both men. The beachfront setting adds to the film’s haunting atmosphere. There are scenes that will stay with the viewer, such as a long dialogue sequence in which Luis shaves Jacobo. The look in Jacobo’s eyes is heartbreaking as he grapples with feelings of love, lust and resentment for what may have happened between him and Luis in the past.

Jacobo’s relationships with everyone else are also quite complicated. His mother, who lives in another town, owns the house he lives in. She wants to sell it but Jacobo wants to keep it, which causes all manner of tension between them. He maintains a close friendship with his childhood pal Brian, who may have repressed memories of being abused. Brian is horrified that Jacobo has had Luis move in with him and tries to get Jacobo to let go of the past.

But the main focus of the film is Jacobo and Luis. Luis may deny the accusations being levied against him, but Jacobo knows the truth, and what should have been a confrontation turns into a rumination on love and loss. Jimenez and Ruis offer fine performances and play off each other quite well.

Ultimately, this is a film that lingers long after the closing credits have rolled. It’s a story of an aching longing and a deep regret, and about the complicated nature of love.

‘Salt Water,’ 83 minutes, in Spanish with English subtitles; U.S. distribution by Breaking Glass. Now streaming on Breaking Glass, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV and Amazon Prime.
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