Jose Gomez De Vargas’ Coexistence unfolds in a crime-ridden neighborhood of the Dominican Republic, where an aging writer has been murdered in cold blood, shot inside his apartment. We are introduced to an ensemble cast of seven suspects: an adulterous banker (Francis Cruz) and his wife (Ruth Emeterio), a promiscuous realtor (Pachy Méndez), a doctor (Roger Wasserman), an intrusive elderly woman (Niurka Mota), a young hairdresser (Karina Valdez), and their surly landlord (Gerardo Mercedes). Looming over the group is the officer in charge (Mario Nunez), who has detained them in a bleak, concrete room until the suspect is identified.
For much of the 95-minute runtime, the characters are left alone, sitting around a large table, attempting to uncover the mystery on their own. This permits an extensive, dialogue-driven exploration of the characters and their dynamics with one another, as well as with the victim. Through the opening act, we cleverly jump in and out of chronological order, seeing the suspects give their statements earlier in the evening. With each scene, the filmmaker systematically adds layers to the story. We start uncovering more about each character, their relationships, and their potential motives. The audience experiences peaks and valleys alongside the suspects; with each new piece of information, the most likely culprit appears to change. Elsewhere in the police station, the officer conducts his investigation, often with liberal interpretations of the law. From the offset, he seems to be hiding something nefarious.
Long takes are used, creating a stageplay feel that works wonders for the dialogue-heavy scenes and limited locations. The camera stays moving, creating a dynamic flow to the conversations that complements the conventional, shot/reverse shot approach. The passage of time from scene to scene is conveyed very well too. As the clock ticks, we watch the physical and emotional strain start to take its toll on the suspects. The performances are effective across the board, each managing to express well-rounded, dynamic characters despite screen time being split between a large cast. The soundtrack manages to mirror the tension in the room as well, with the music reaching an anxious, fever pitch during heated moments of hostility.
The film keeps the audience guessing the whole way through, letting you put together pieces of the puzzle alongside the characters. It evokes inspiration from the likes of Lumet and Preminger. An old-school thriller with modern sensibilities, Coexistence is a tense, effective whodunnit that pulls off an impressive feat: a courtroom drama without the courtroom.
Review by Shane McKevitt for Final Cut Magazine and Venice Film Week
