Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
United States
3254 people rated Mexican teenagers Aristotle Mendoza and Dante Quintana explore their friendship while struggling with racial and ethnic identity, sexuality and family relationships in 1987 El Paso, Texas.
Drama
Cast (18)
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User Reviews
The Rock
15/09/2024 16:03
This is an incredible piece of film work
This is definitely from mature audiences. I would say n c sixteen
I would say this is for older teenagers and young adults
It has altered states of of being
It explores the l g p t q question of the early nineteen eighties a time in which being gay would severely get you ha time that I lived through
If you have teenagers in the house who are questioning whether they are gay or straight this is the film for them that will help them explore that
But do not show this to anyone under fifteen I cannot stress that enough
I would say to producers and the director And the producer were absolute geniuses.
Abiri Oluwabusayo Khloe
09/09/2024 16:00
Summary:
"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" is a coming-of-age novel by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, first published on February 21, 2012. Set in El Paso, Texas, in 1987, the story follows two Mexican-American teenagers, Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana, as they navigate friendship, racial and ethnic identity, sexuality, and family relationships. The novel has received widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades.
Plot Overview:
In the summer of 1987, 15-year-old Aristotle Mendoza meets Dante Quintana at the local pool. Bonding over their classical names, they become inseparable. Dante teaches Ari about literature and poetry, while Ari admires Dante's swimming ability and sincerity. When Dante moves to Chicago for a year, they promise to remain friends. Dante later confesses his love for Ari, who struggles to reciprocate. After Dante is attacked for kissing another boy, Ari eventually accepts his own feelings for Dante, leading to a heartfelt conclusion where Ari embraces his love for Dante.
Personal Connection:
I cannot remember the last time I watched a movie twice in a row until this one. The book series changed my life when I randomly picked it up at a bookstore and couldn't put it down. Seeing Ari and Dante come to life on screen was breathtaking. Their story, both in the book and the movie, moves me to tears every time. This adaptation was perfect, with every scene captured beautifully and the story told just as it should be. The casting was spot-on, and the entire experience left an indelible mark on my heart.
Cinematic Experience:
Spellbinding from start to finish, this beautiful movie effortlessly weaves a tapestry of emotions. The cinematography is breathtaking, capturing the essence of each scene with grace. The stellar performances and captivating storyline make it a cinematic masterpiece that lingers in your thoughts long after the credits roll.
Conclusion:
"Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" is not just a movie but an emotional journey that perfectly captures the essence of the novel. The impeccable casting, stunning cinematography, and faithful adaptation make it a must-watch for both fans of the book and newcomers alike. This story will forever hold a special place in my heart.
✨jofraise✨
23/01/2024 16:04
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe Number 1 Fan review
This film made me feel the importance of acceptance and the role of family in helping getting it. I really hope that all queer humans have the same family as Quintana's and Mendoza's. I envy Ari and Dante.
This film gave me the same emotions just like when I read the book. Thank you so much to the cast that they were able to portray all the characters so well and so precise. I hope the film will be shown worldwide because the world deserves to know Aristotle Mendoza sooo damn much! This film would teach acceptance surely! Please, let this out to the world sooooooon.
b.khyati91
20/01/2024 16:18
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe_720p(480P)
Lilithafirst Liz Sma
20/01/2024 16:00
source: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
Sandra🌸Afia🌸Boakyewaa
20/01/2024 16:00
There is something truly special about this film. It's sweet, it's cute, it pulls at your heartstrings, it ALMOST made my eyes water, and I loved every second of it! Max Pelayo (Aristotle) took this role and tan away with it. He did a remarkable job and I was genuinely impressed. His acting career going forward looks very promising and I'm excited to see what's next for him. Reese Gonzales was also good, but there are a few moments here and there where it felt like the acting was overdone. I picked up that Dante was meant to be this fun, charming, outgoing, quirky individual, but some scenes just seemed unnatural. That's me being very knick-picky though; he's still a young actor. It's definitely one to watch!
␈اقدوره العقوري👉🔥
20/01/2024 16:00
This is a beuatiful adaptation of Benjamin Alire Sáenz's book. There will be those who quibble with some of the choices, but considering the sheer challenge of transferring such a successful book, especially an emotional one like this one, onto the screen, this is an excellent take on the novel. It's a slow burn for Max Pelayo to truly come into his own as Ari: this is due to the character's own evolution, all repressed feelings and anger that slowly surface, along with the realization of who he is. It's a joy watching the actor rise to the occasion. Reese Gonzales immediately captures Dante, partially because of the insightful casting but also because Dante is well-defined from the start in the book. The two actors play off each other with great ease.
The director, Aitch Alberto, brings a careful hand to everything in this film, and you feel it. One choice that worked well was making Ari's aunt Ophelia more present. In the novel, she's almost like an idea, but here she's a presence onscreen and a reflection of Ari's own repressed self. That was a wise choice, along with keeping Dante's attack "off-stage" to avoid the sensationalism.
This is a film about two young men who are loners, in extremely different ways, and who simply love each other--almost immediately. By the time Ari comes to terms with himself and what he is feeling, the viewer, like the character, can finally exhale.
Usha Uppreti
20/01/2024 16:00
I wanted to watch this movie for so long and just didn't know where to see it. As a fan of the books I think I expected a lot from the movies and I won't say it was bad, I was just disappointed. The film has no flow and it's like they took chapters from the book independent of each other and just made scenes from it without considering how everything merges together. The dialogue was okay I guess but the chemistry was so off and the acting was so novice like this was a YouTube made film. Another issue I had was the 'experiment', the movie portrayal of the experiment was completely different from the book. What I love about Ari was he was nvr homophobic to Dante, although he was going through his own internalized crisis, he never said or did those things to Dante. Dante's portrayal also seemed so different from what I had in my head but they captured Ari perfectly. The pace of the movie was so quick, 3 scenes in and we were already at the middle of the book. Bless the costume designers for putting Dante in the gayest outfits ever.
Millind Gaba#MusicMG
20/01/2024 16:00
I was so happy to see that this was being made in to a movie. I don't go to theaters, so have to wait for any movies I want to see to stream. It saw A&D on Hoopla this morning, and pretty much dropped everything to watch. I read the book about a year ago, but as soon as I started watching, it all came back to me. The movie was true to the book, and the acting was superb. Like the book, I can relate to the movie, as, although I was in my 20s in the 1980s, it was the same struggle for me then - shame, fear, acceptance. Brought all the emotions back.
Hoping to see the sequel, "A&D Dive into the Waters of the World"......that too was a wonderful read, and could be as good as or better than this movie.
Highly recommended!
𝐙𝐀𝐊𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐋𝐀𝐙𝐀𝐀𝐑
20/01/2024 16:00
Three Hundred Seventy-Five Pages and the job is to reduce it to One Hour Thirty-Seven Minutes on film and keep it honest and authentic. The original source material by author Benjamin Alite Sáenz is named TIME Magazine's "Best YA Book of All Time" (2021)" and selected as a "Printz Honor Book" who describes it as a "tender, honest exploration of identity." Publishers Weekly adds that "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" distills lyrical truths about family and friendship. That's some undertaking by Aitch Alberto, who serves this film masterfully as its screenwriter, producer and director. The ability to pluck the essence of the book's major emotional beats speaks of a complete immersion into the characters created by Mr Sáenz's and who continue their journey in the follow up book "Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World."
The casting of Max Pelayo as Aristotle was brilliant, as was Reese Gonzalez as Dante.
Rarely does a movie come about that lingers with the viewer sufficiently so that they will be motivated to keep them alive in their hearts by reading the book. With the follow up book already available, that adds additional motivation to read them both.
With your imagination aided by Max and Reese's portrayal, it'll be easy going for even the most finicky readers.
There's bed a few similar entries like the film Red, White and Royal Blue and TV series like Young Royals and Heartstopper that deals in young adult first love. This movie tops them all in character development and likability. Done well, as it is done here is a treat to watch.
My 8 rating would be 8.5 if decimals were available. It misses a 9 by just a bit, maybe fifteen more minutes would have been helpful, as the story moves a bit too quickly in the middle.