GOYO

Argentina, 2024, 106 minutes, Colour.

Nicolas Furtado, Nancy Duplaa, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Diego Alonso, Cecilia Roth.

Directed by Marcos Carnevale.

Goyo, short for Gregorio, is an Argentinian man who has Asperger’s Syndrome. In fact, there have been quite a number of films about children and adults on the spectrum. It is worth googling movies about Asperger’s Syndrome and see the significant number of films, many of them well-known.

Goyo has a sad past history, his father killed in the drink-driving accident, his mother abandoning him. He lives with his sister, strict, snobbish, a concert pianist, and with his more genial brother who is a chef. The sister tries to protect him. His brother is a great support and friend.

But Goyo has a PhD, is an expert in art, and is a guide at the Museum. He is very knowledgeable, exact in his references to times and dates and other aspects of the spectrum. Nicolas Furtado gives a strong performance as Goyo. Nancy Duplaa is very sympathetic as the older woman.

The screenplay focuses on issues of sexuality and relationships. Goyo is infatuated with an older woman whom he sees struggling in the rain with an umbrella, sees her working at the Museum, follows her, which she interprets as a stalking, but with the help of words given to him by his brother, he approaches her, apologises, and the situation is rectified. The woman herself has a violent husband just getting out of prison, two sons.

While the focus is on the woman and her age and response to the relationship, the focus is very much on Goyo and issues of sexuality, his adult longings, his encyclopedic study of pornography, the encounter with the woman and its consequences. With the pressures from his family and a violent confrontation with the woman’s husband, he becomes a confused, almost being killed by traffic in the street.

The film evokes audience sympathy for Goyo, offers the audience an opportunity to understand him in the way deaths of thinking and feeling by those with Asperger’s Syndrome..

1. Goyo, Gregorio, the focus of the film, character, Personality, Spectrum, Asperges?
2. Setting in Argentina, universal story? Audience interest in the theme, characters on the spectrum, the increase of diagnosis of autism and the spectrum?
3. Nicolas Furtado and his performance as Goyo? His place in the family, the death of his father when he was young, drunk, his mother and her drinking, the driving, the accident? His mother withdrawing, not knowing how to relate to her son? At home with his stepsister and her strictness, at home with his stepbrother and his kindness? The routines at home, the meals, discussions? Being protective of Goyo?
4. Goyo and his education, his PhD, knowledge of art history? Encyclopedic knowledge, precision of expression, accuracy of dates, dates times and places, his love of art, his room and the paintings, van Gogh, his own painting, imagining people as centres of paintings? His imagination, whirling images?
5. His work at the Gallery, friendship with the staff, their understanding him, his tours and explanations for the visitors? His glimpse of Eva, his referring to her by her full name? The attraction, seeing her in the rain and frustration with the umbrella? At the Gallery? The subway, her anxiety in the train, the train stopping, the blackout, his fall, panic attack, leaving the train, on the platform, her giving him the finger? And his research online to understand the meaning of giving the finger?
6. Saula and her skill as a musician, music practice, older, controlling Goyo? Matute, younger, work as a chef, the meals at home, listening to Goyo, giving him advice, the speech to make to Either? At the hospital, her being apprehensive, the explanations, her response?
7. Eva and her home life, her husband in jail, the violence, the older son and his surliness, football, staying with his girlfriend, yet returning to support his mother? The younger boy, friendly, encountering Goyo, the bonding, the talk, welcoming him to the home?
8. Goyo, the invitation to Eva, going out, the conversation, awkward, her response, being affirmed, drinking, the dancing, the return home, the sexual encounter, the aftermath, for Goyo, for Eva, the discussions?
9. Audience response to his being on the spectrum, his manner, his friendliness? Making allowances? His concern about sexual issues, looking at the pornography, the range and encyclopedic response? The personal issues, the moral issues, his reflections? Matute and his advice?
10. This purges and emotions, the effect of the relationship, at the football matches and his feeling that his brother was ignoring him?
11. The continued relationship, going to his sister’s performance, her demands, judgements on Eva, the impact on Goyo, bewilderment, going to the street, the swirling vision, hospital?
12. The sister and the discussions at the hospital with Eva, the rash judgement?
13. Goya, seeking out Eva’s husband, the confrontation at the market, the violence?
14. The family, leaving Goyo to make his own decisions? Eva and her response, love, despite the age difference, the emotional difference?