Sebastián *** (2014, Carlos Ciurlizza, Katerina D’Onofrio, Burt Grinstead, Roger Abad Piñin, Eva Ayllón, Kristen Baranano, Francisco Cabrera) – Classic Movie Review 13,977

Carlos Ciurlizza writes, directs and stars as a conflicted Peru gay son and lover in the 2015 feature film Sebastián, which won the Grand Jury Award for Best Screenplay at the 2015 Los Angeles Outfest.

Carlos Ciurlizza writes, directs and stars as a conflicted gay son and lover in the 2015 feature film Sebastian, which won the Grand Jury Award for Best Screenplay at the 2015 Los Angeles Outfest.

Carlos Ciurlizza stars as Sebastián, who returns from America to his Peru hometown to take care of his mother when she is hospitalised after a stroke, and struggles to come to terms with his past, his present with the conservative, closed-minded, religious-minded people in his town, and his future.

Sebastián has an impossible dilemma, and solves it in an impossible way. The ending is kind of inevitable but infuriating, and somehow really wrong, spoiling all the good, challenging work earlier. There are many excellent scenes and strong performances along the way. But, in the end, it is a disappointing film, with the character of Sebastián a disappointment, dithering and betraying as he goes along, too soft and weak to have enough courage for a better life.

Everybody seems to love him anyway, deep down, but actually he doesn’t deserve it. The conservative-minded ending is too soft and weak to be readily acceptable. The American lawyer guy Josh (Burt Grinstead) who suddenly turns up and shows he truly loves him (his husband, it turns out) should clearly have walked away before he got really hurt, round about the time he hears his husband has slept with his ex-girlfriend Lucia (Katerina D’Onofrio) and has a son by her.

What tangled webs we weave! This is a tragic story, sad, sad, sad, but infuriating. OK, we get small-town Peru doesn’t like ‘faggots’, but we probably know that anyway, and don’t need a film to tell us. Good luck staying there, then, Sebastián. Have you suddenly turned straight or something, or just lost your mind (along with your mother and husband). Good grief!

Shame, it could have been a winner instead of just a contender. However, much kudos to Carlos Ciurlizza is his four roles as actor, writer, producer and director. His performance and writing are impressive.

Carlos Ciurlizza won the Grand Jury Award for Best Screenplay at the 2015 LA Outfest.

It premiered in competition at Busan and Guadalajara International film festivals.

Release date: October 4, 2014.

Runtime: 108 minutes.

© Derek Winnert 2026 Classic Movie Review 13,977

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