Summary
Loving is Losing betrays its premise very quickly, devolving into a very boring dud with nothing to offer.
Arriving on Netflix today quietly, because I presume no one cares, is Colombian film Loving is Losing, or in its native language El Que Se Enamora Pierde. The lack of care is clear from the offset, as they couldn’t decide the English title on Netflix; the thumbnail says Love is Losing, but then the cover art before you press play is Loving is Losing. Yes, I am nitpicking, but it highlights how little I have to say about the romantic comedy.
Loving is Losing begins with this flashback scene of young Nicolas falling in love with photography; he falls in love with a girl called Erika, and creepily tells her so using his photography – she bullies him by coercing him to believe he was going to receive his first kiss, but replaces the kiss while his eyes are closed with sloppy licks from a dog. This moment was photoed, meaning he got bullied all the way into his adult life. It made me wonder why the makers of this movie would think adults would still care once they’ve elevated above puberty.
Anyway, the older Nicolas (Ricardo Quevedo) has become a promiscuous player in his now adult life, photographing attractive women for a living, and due to the dog licking experience, he now has zero respect for the opposite sex. As for older Erika (Liss Pereira) she’s pregnant with a man who is cheating on her; so I guess the day she bullied Nicolas has really served karma on her.
Loving is Losing tries to form a story where the two are reunited, and Nicolas vows to carefully articulate revenge, while Erika grows feelings for him. This premise lasts about two scenes, and they immediately toy with a romantic atmosphere between them. I’m not sure what is the point of building a premise, to dismantle it in minutes; Loving is Losing becomes a mere romantic movie, with a lot of unfunny gags thrown in. It’s a strange excuse for a story, with little to say for itself. Do not waste your time.
