“A Poet” is a 2025 Colombian comedy-drama film just now receiving its North American release.
The second film from writer-director Simón Mesa Soto, it follows Oscar, a financially unstable middle-aged man with such a strong belief in his own poetic talent, that is pressured by his family to finally get a real job.
When he starts to work as a high school English teacher, he becomes fascinated by the poetry of one of his students, a 15 year old girl named Yurlady, and is determined to help her start a successful poetry career.
From his introduction, Oscar’s self-destructive lifestyle establishes him as a fascinating character. He is a man who sees himself as the classic “tortured artist,” a brilliant poet who can never escape pain and sorrow. He takes pride in this label.
The film portrays the way the self-esteem of artists often becomes linked to the quality of their art. Oscar is unhappy with himself because of his lack of success in his writing, and we start to see how this mindset is transferred onto Yurlady as she enters the world of high art.
Previously, Yurlady wrote poetry to cope with her emotions. Her poetry goes on to become something much bigger than that. No longer a silly little thing that she does to blow off steam, Yurlady feels pressured to create better art.
Despite the film’s small scope, it is incredibly ambitious, navigating a wide range of emotions through numerous character interactions. It is truly a film that takes the viewer on a journey.
Soto‘s direction grounds the film throughout, often lingering on still shots of stereotypically mundane objects and locations, emphasizing the emotion and meaning these characters see in the smaller details of life.
The directorial style contrasted with the hectic plotting of this film, giving the movie a flavor similar to the work of Sean Baker, although “A Poet” remains a unique work evocative of a singular vision.
The middle of this movie may come off as repetitive to many, but the meandering tone is ultimately justified when it becomes clear what phase of the artistic process Soto is attempting to portray. Oscar insists that he is a poet while rarely writing at all. He is a man afraid of failure, as he has experienced much of that in his life.
In order to avoid failure, he distracts himself, as many writers do.
For much of the film, the viewer is living within an absurd distraction. When the distractions have finished and the film comes to an end, Oscar is forced to face his life head-on, leading “A Poet” to culminate in a fascinating and profound ending, with a final line that will stick in viewers’ minds for days after the credits roll.
“A Poet” is made up of an ensemble cast of complete newcomers to the film world, which makes the quality of the performances all the more impressive. The ensemble is led by Ubeimar Rios as Oscar, who brilliantly embodies the physicality of a man trapped inside his own fear and self-loathing.
Rebecca Andrade also impresses as Yurlady, balancing both the “wisdom beyond her years” that Oscar is struck by and the naivety of a child. Andrade is tasked with portraying many complicated emotions, and these emotions always feel genuine and believable coming from Andrade.
In a specific pivotal scene towards the movie’s end, Adriana Upequi shines as Yolanda, Oscar’s sister who is sick of Oscar’s meandering lifestyle.
Alisson Correa plays Daniela, Oscar’s estranged teenage daughter. Correa truly embodies her character’s complex emotions, establishing a world of depth under Daniela’s surface within her small amount of screentime, ultimately becoming the standout performance of the film.
“A Poet” is a dense, ambitious exploration of a man full of regret and self-hatred, doing little to improve his life. To many, that may sound like a painfully unpleasant affair. However, Soto always manages to find brilliant meaning within the frustrating lives of his characters.
