I still remember my time working at the multiplex. Over nine years, I watched the conversion from Empire Theatres to Cineplex, the change from 35MM film to digital, and the rise of 3D once again.

I love the movies, and that passion is why these reviews, a labour of love, line this site. So it’s no surprise that this story of a lonely projectionist who is in love with a woman he sees on film reels hit me hard.

It’s at once a meditation on the changing industry, and a testament to the passion one can have for the cinema and those onscreen. It’s an escape, and movies can transport you. The good ones can, anyway.

In the Projectionist, Eliseo is being pressured into retiring his 35’s for digital. He’s told “it’s an investment,” a line he flatly pushes against. But when his reels catch fire, he embarks on a road trip to discover the identity of the woman from the reels.

With him is free-spirited, nymphomaniac Rubi, who is with him every step of the way, despite his cantankerous demeanour.

Félix Germán is a somber revelation here, and Cindy Galán supports him in a showier, yet less affecting, role. The two of them are dynamite. Yin and yang, and powerful in opposite ways.

Writer/director José María Cabral’s passion for cinema is clear, and that passion makes The Projectionist a must-see.

4.5/5 Stars