| Director | Pablo Larraín |
|---|
This film follows a man in his fifties who is obsessed with the character Tony Manero, portrayed by John Travolta in the movie Saturday Night Fever. He dedicates himself to imitating Manero's mannerisms and elaborate dance moves.
Set in Santiago, Chile during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, filmmaker Pablo Larraín makes a deliberate effort to depict the decadence, violence, and darkness of the era.
Raúl Peralta is the main character of the film, a man of simple speech whose primary concern is faithfully embodying his idol, Tony Manero. He lives in a run-down boarding house that has a small stage used for rehearsing dance routines, including the main choreography from the American movie.
The film begins with Peralta attempting to participate in a contest on a popular television program called Festival de la Una. Each week the program seeks "the double of" a particular celebrity, and this time they are looking for the double of Tony Manero.
Peralta's efforts to emulate his idol and win the contest unfold through a bifocal lens, which shows both the character's lack of scruples and the harsh reality of his environment.