Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe * In This Cinema Era Of Super Heroes And Special Effects, This Offers A Refreshing Story That Is Right Up My Alley
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe is an upcoming movie based of the coming-of-age young adult novel by American author Benjamin Alire Sáenz. Set in El Paso, Texas in 1987, the novel follows two Mexican teenagers, Aristotle “Ari” Mendoza and Dante Quintana, their friendship, and their struggles with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships.
KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Zoe C. comments, “Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe emerges in this convoluted cinema era of super heroes and special effects offering a refreshing story. Everything from the storyline, to the cinematography and indie film style is right up my alley.” See her full review below.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
By Zoe C, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15
Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe emerges in this convoluted cinema era of super heroes and special effects offering a refreshing story. Everything from the storyline, to the cinematography and indie film style is right up my alley.
The story begins in 1987 with a boy named Aristotle (Max Pelayo) who keeps to himself. He goes to the local swimming pool in hopes of learning to swim and meets Dante (Reese Gonzales). The two instantly click as they realize they have a lot in common and start hanging out every day. Dante moves away for a year but the two boys exchange letters and remain in contact. Both Dante and Aristotle have a long road of self-discovery ahead, but that doesn’t interfere with the strong connection between them.
I love how this film deals with so many different themes all at once — family dilemmas, sexuality, self-growth, and ethnic identity. I always relate to seeing Latino representation in films; Aristotle is Mexican and I love that this film has a lot to do with his heritage. The cinematography is delicate and bright as is the overall aesthetic of the film. My favorite scene is when Aristotle and Dante tie their Converse shoes together and hang them on a light post at night. The lighting and simple concept of tying their shoes together is so beautiful; especially in the way that scene is shot. It is so powerful and meaningful.
The acting is also impressive. Max Pelayo’s portrayal of Aristotle is terrific – despite Aristotle having lots of inner conflicts, Max portrays him in such a beautiful way. I love Reese Gonzales as Dante as well; Dante is a very awkward person but in the cutest way and Reese captures that dichotomy and plays into that tricky kind of feel. I’m a huge fan of Eugenio Derbez, who plays Jamie Mendoza, Aristotle’s dad. He’s such an incredible actor. Eva Longoria, as Dante’s mom, and Veronica Falćon, as Aristotle’s mom, both really caught my attention. I love how both moms are so different and both love their kids infinitely. Veronica is the perfect example of a Mexican mom. I wish Eva had more screen time but nevertheless she is great. This film is based on a novel with the same name by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and is produced by Eugenio Derbez and Lin-Manuel Miranda who narrates the audio book.
The film’s message is that true love always prevails, but takes time. Please note that it contains some strong violence, strong language, sexual material, teen drug and alcohol use and smoking.
I give Aristotle And Dante Discover The Secrets Of The Universe 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 12 to 18, plus adults. It releases in theaters, HBO and Netflix September 8, 2023.
