The Currents: A Riveting Character Study by Filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler

"The Currents (Las Corrientes)", a compelling character study from Swiss-Argentinian filmmaker Milagros Mumenthaler, breathes new life into the well-trodden "unraveling woman" subgenre. The film follows the life of Lina (Isabel Aimé González-Sola), a privileged Buenos Aires fashion designer, with an extraordinary blend of stylistic fervor and emotion. The film's unique and assured execution gives it considerable appeal.

Lina's outwardly perfect life and inward turmoil places her alongside iconic characters such as Rosemary Woodhouse and Lydia Tár, as well as characters played by Nicole Kidman. However, "The Currents" is anything but derivative. Mumenthaler's empathy towards the divergence between our outward presentations and inner selves grants the film a unique allure.

Eschewing the austere formalism common in contemporary art cinema, the film offers a surprisingly generous narrative. The story of Lina, whose pristine façade barely fractures even as her inner world collapses, manages to both rattle the nerves and stir the emotions. The vibrant colors, immersive soundtrack, and captivating lead performance underpin this mix of tension and sentiment.

The film starts with Lina accepting an award in Geneva, but later discarding it. She is later seen jumping into a river, hinting at her psychological struggles. Once saved and back home, we learn that Lina now has an extreme aversion to water, a metaphor representing a broader malaise and sense of fear-infused numbness.

The film uses visual and auditory cues adeptly to convey this alienating fugue-like state. Despite her struggles, Lina continues her usual routine, neither becoming frigid nor hypersexualized. The film presents a realistic portrayal of how people manage breakdowns while maintaining outward normality.

Mumenthaler tackles themes of identity, especially its intersections with gender and class, alongside memory and trauma. However, these inquiries are anchored in authentic human emotions. The film consistently captures Lina’s struggle with societal judgments, which stem from a painful past she is trying to escape.

"The Currents" includes surreal sequences that serve to symbolically showcase Lina's increasing disorientation. Her imaginary episodic insights into other women's lives hint at a curiosity for human connection, a potential lifeline for Lina.

González-Sola delivers a commanding performance, benefitting greatly from Mumenthaler's discerning use of close-ups. The film's technical execution gently immerses viewers into Lina's world and unsettled psyche.

The movie slightly falters in its concluding act, veering towards undue legibility at the expense of its previous elusive intrigue. However, this can be forgiven as it is rooted in the film maker's intent to empathetically address Lina's crisis, conveying an existential mystery that doesn’t necessarily need a resolution.