Beautiful Youth (2014) - Jaime Rosales

Natalie and Carlos, two young adults, are in a passionate relationship, struggling to survive in modern Spain.  Coming from poverty stricken families, they have limited resources, which prevent them from getting ahead.  With nowhere else to turn, they decid to shoot an amateur porn video, earning more money in a day than either of them make in at least a week.  When Natalie becomes pregnant, the couple finds their relationship tested as they struggle to provide for their family.  Jaime Rosales' Beautiful Youth is a naturalistic look at modern life, capturing the strain that family responsibility and money can have on a relationship.  A solid but unspectacular film, Beautiful Youth shows a character in Natalie, who is forced to grow up fast, responsible for not only herself but her new born baby girl.  The narrative spans a few years with Jaime Rosales enlivening the narrative with simulated cellphone conversations, pictures, and sky conversations, that effectively and creatively express the passage of time.  While Natalie is without question the main protagonist, Carlos' is a fascinating character, a man who is not ready to take on the responsibilities neccessary to support his new family.  The film's best attribute is its ability to capture the hardship of a bad economy, showcasing how much money can dictate one's lives.  With its empahetic but unspectacular narrative, Jaime Rosales' Beautiful Youth is a realistic portrayal of maturity and the responsibility neccessary to start a family.  

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