Argentine writer Julio Cortázar (1914-1984) was a master of the short story. He lived mostly in France, wrote in Spanish and his influence in world literature has been considerable. He inspired/scripted such key movies as Michelangelo Antonioni's Blow Up (1966) and Jean-Luc Godard's Weekend (1967) and is listed as writer or subject in more than fifty feature films, shorts and TV series. Some of Cortázar stories are in the realm of the fantastic. Others are minimalist masterpieces where fascinating tales are woven out of everyday material. One of the latter is Cartas de Mamá (Letters from Mother), the basis for this movie.
The 1960s were a golden age of Argentine cinema. Free of the restrictions of the populist regime of Juan Domingo Perón (that ended in 1955) many edgy, experimental out-of-the-mainstream movies were made, some influenced by European directors such as Bergman, Godard and Antonioni. Argentinian movies, until then distributed mostly in Latin America (there were exceptions) began to be known in Europe and to collect awards,. Manuel Antín was one of the key directors of the period.
To make a short story into a feature movie is no easy task and many adaptations (like Blow Up) end up being a variation on the basic tale. Not so here; Antín and cowriters have been faithful to the original. They are supported by a good cast, especially Lautaro Murúa as the lead. Murúa, a Chilean actor of brilliant career in Argentina (and Europe) was a true movie actor, not a theater actor slumming in movies and his delivery is natural and spontaneous. There are a few negatives, such as: at times the dialogues become too literary and Mother's somber overdecorated house borders on Gothic, but perhaps this is meant to contrast with Paris streets shown with an indifferent coolness like in a Godard movie. At the end, the balance is positive. Why La Cifra Impar = The Odd Number? Maybe because the two brothers and Laura add up to three. Maybe because the negative impar suggests odd man out.
