Writer/director Mariano Biasin plays up the chemistry between these two young actors-more than anything else, the longing Manu feels is tangible. The intimacy of these dreams is touching. He cannot stop thinking about Felipe, to the extent that the boy invades his dreams. Every time the couple is close to their big “first time,” Manu essentially gets cold feet. He grows very close to Felipe (Teo Inama Chiabrando), his best friend since childhood, as the two bond over girl troubles, band practice, lyric writing, and “magic.” Manu, who is dating a sweet girl named Azul (Azul Mazzeo), begins to realize his feelings may lie elsewhere. Manu plays bass in a band that can’t decide on a name, beyond the moniker of exes. Manuel (Martin Miller), or Manu as his friends call him, is a relatively normal 16-year-old with braces, whose room is adorned with Pink Floyd posters. Powered by the energy of live music performances and tender intimacy, Sublime is a beautiful and meaningful little indie surprise. This film felt refreshing to me in more ways than one, as being gay is only one aspect to Manuel’s personality and not the whole enchilada. There is no gay bashing here, nor the customary disgust at a straight bestie discovering their pal is attracted to them. What happens when those feelings that start to invade one’s brain aren’t for one’s girlfriend, but a member of the same sex-a close friend, to be exact? Sublime posits that these thoughts are perfectly normal. Sublime exists somewhere in that special corner of adolescence, on the cusp of falling down the rabbit hole of one’s first love.
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