A priori, making a series about Ricardo Fort, a character who since the age of 40 has shown much of the last five years of his life, might seem redundant. But that short period from his media breakthrough until his sudden death has left endless questions without answer.
Strong Commanderthe documentary series that Star+ premiered, chronicles the rise and fall of the businessman heir, singer, actor and theater producer, with an authorial and somewhat chaotic approach that is linked to how its protagonist lived.
Instead of judging or defending it, docuseries opens the debate from several premises. How did an eccentric and sometimes domineering millionaire become so popular? Why, ten years after his death, does his figure continue to dominate the new generations through kitsch memes and icons?
The four episodes mix archival footage and never-before-seen testimonials from his closest circle, with some fiction.
Ricardo Fort impersonators – initially, the protagonist is recreated through technology deepfakes (an artificial intelligence technique)-, Juan José Muscari in the role of host, the businessman’s children, Felipe and Martaand his last couple, Gustavo Martinezthey contribute that portion of acting that cuts the coldness of the documentary.
Created, directed and produced by Patricio Alvarez Marriedeach chapter deals with an aspect of its history and is told with its own stamp.
To the videos of Fort himself -a la Truman Show, he decided to film his daily life-, and behind the scenes of that same reality show, an unpublished intimate diary found during the production of the series is addedin which RF talks about his failure in music and his first loves, among other things.
The first one-hour episode enters the intimacy of those years of media whirlwind, when after his father’s death he decides to launch his career as an artist and becoming a celebrity in Argentina, which he had unsuccessfully attempted in Miami.
He also reconstructs the family tree -from his grandfather Felipe, founder of the chocolate empire-, to begin to understand the null link with his father and the mandates he had to break.
“Ricardo Fort lived as he wished, died as he could, and became a digital saint”says the voice-over of the actor Claudio Rissi, as the opera goes on stage A stealthy tear in the background, what manages to give it a certain air of majestic myth. “Welcome to the depths of Commander Fort”closes that successful introduction to the docuseries.
The second episode tells Fort’s unknown love record and his early years of sexual affective freedom in Miami. His first pair appears a drag queen who met him at gay clubs from the late 80s and a photographer who photographed him naked and who tells of his obsession with the perfect body.
Now without Rissi as narrator, Muscari and the actor Juan Pablo Mirabelli act as guests-spectators of the most revealing chapter.
The third episode focuses more on their children, Marta and Felipe, who they honor him with an original song and a video clip where the heirs actively participated. And the fourth, whose protagonist is Gustavo Martínez, his last companion, it ends with his unexpected death.
the docuseries manages to undress all the threads of a complex character full of contradictions that in front of the camera he was full and self-confident, but in reality he was hiding traumas, obsessions and insecurities like anyone else.
But, above all, he succeeds in his attempt to analyze and understand him without falling into morbidity, cracks or subjective visions around his figure.
File
Qualification: Good
documentary series protagonists: Ricardo Fort, Marta and Felipe Fort, José María Muscari, Gustavo Martínez (voiceover by Claudio Rissi) Creator: Patricio Alvarez Married. Problem: Four episodes available on Star+.
Source: Clarin
