Nicolás Teté’s sweet portrait of a young family A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET has lot of layers, but few surprises. Facundo Gambandé plays Manu, a prodigal son seeking emotional partnership, professional success, and parental approval. You will not be surprised that once he reveals his big secret, those goals are attained.
The story lines of the quirky family members are not fully credible. The middle son is a tennis pro, and that fact that he has knocked his girlfriend up is being kept from him to protest his image and career, which means more to his father than it does to him.
The one interesting subplot is Manu’s connection with a high school teacher who is trapped as a gay man in a small town. But that does not work out, making the final epilogue – in which Manu is transformed into a successful cook and happy man – seem over embellished like too much frosting on the cinnamon rolls.
The film has good intentions, and at one point might have been an innovative part of the cannon of important queer films. But as it tries to balance an intense family drama with comedy, it seems out of step today. A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET is being released by TLA Releasing.