Written and directed by Noah Salzman, an 18-year-old boxer from a conservative Catholic family in Miami is secretly saving their winnings for the biggest fight of their life: self-acceptance in their desire to transition into a woman. Starring: Germain Arroyo, Armand Fields, Danell Leyva, Brandon Prado, Marisa Davila, Victor Rivers, Brody Wellmaker, Roland Rusinek and Elena Maria Garcia.
Noah Salzman gives a good view of what he’s going for with Clocked with an atmospheric opening which has a gentleness and poetic nature. It’s a great note to portray the vulnerability and emotional roots of this story but it transitions into an overtly simple shot. That movement from the thoughtful side of things to an aesthetic that’s lacking in depth and using rather blunt angles, makes it feel somewhat rocky. The transitions are something that the film struggles with throughout, it never quite gets into a smooth flow.
However, the cinematography (by Bernard Salzmann) does improve as time goes on, there’s some locations which provide for great natural lighting, helping to add texture. The style of the direction from Noah Salzman does emanate that this is a debut feature, it’s simple and hesitant, it plays things safe and steady. It works but it does make Clocked feel like it’s missing out on stronger notes of individuality and originality. Although, the tone of coming-of-age meets queer discovery is done well and is nicely consistent throughout.
There is inherently a deeply emotional foundation to this story, Adolfo’s (Germain Arroyo) experience is a difficult one, there’s a great deal to process blended with uncertainty, fear, self-hatred, internalised shame and anxiety. As Clocked progresses it gets a good grasp on that journey, but it does try to dive in a bit too early to an emotional depth that it isn’t quite ready for, it needs time to build. The ingredients are there, it simply is at is strongest when it’s allowed to come through naturally.
A smart choice by Salzman was to include in this story, without scandalising, exploiting or featuring it directly on camera, the typical violence against the Trans community that happens across the US. It’s highly relevant and a vital issue which needs to be talked about because it’s such a vulnerable community who face such a bigoted, vile hatred and there have been countless people, particularly young people, who have fallen victim to it. Clocked could have even benefited from bringing that poignant reality more into the story, but you can understand Salzman’s intention to keep an intimate focus on Adolfo.
Germain Arroyo does a great job of holding that focus, he creates a very sweet but slightly fierce character in Adolfo. There’s plenty of fighting spirit both through the boxing background and the burgeoning love of the Drag world. The performance does ask a lot of Arroyo but he manages well with the highly emotional scenes. Particularly when paired with Marisa Davila and Armand Fields. With Davila’s Camila, he creates a very endearing connection, and she creates a safe space which is lovely to see. With Fields there’s an excellent mentor-mentee relationship, helping to open up Adolfo’s eyes to the reality as well as the joy of performing.
Fields gives a terrific performance, there’s no question they’d be holding their own in a leading role given the chance because it would have been fascinating to dive into their world more. The emotionality of Fields’ performance has a maturity and a touch of exasperation. There’s a disillusionment with the world but not enough to dampen their spirit permanently. It’s a common feature of any documentary exploring the Trans or Drag communities, to have those elders guiding the young so it’s nice to see it portrayed here.
Clocked is a tender and sweet exploration of self-discovery, family and friendship. Noah Salzman captures a great story, it can occasionally dip into cliché or predictability, but it has wonderful intentions and creates charming characters. The direction and cinematography can feel a touch basic at times, they get the job done but they’re lacking a flair or unique energy. There’s a delightful cast at work, they really do well to capture the mix of youthfulness and poignant issues. The film has a foundation of good ideas, the execution just couldn’t quite find its rhythm.
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