We are living in an age where we need to learn to make a lot of adjustments either for the sake of ourselves or for the sake of our family. For better prospects, we move from our homes to faraway places. But, our home will always be where we want to return to cherish memories. All the Places is a movie about a brother and sister who are alienated due to various circumstances but brought together owing to the funeral of their beloved father.
They meet each other after 15 years to realize that they have missed each other so much and that they still have the chemistry they had when they were young. It is a must-watch movie for siblings that takes you on a road trip through Mexico and an important introspective journey through their ruptured lives.
All the Places (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
Fer & Gabo Reunion:
After 15 long years of living separate lives, Fernando (Mauricio Ochmann) and Gabriela (Ana Serradilla) meet at the funeral of their beloved father. Fernando reaches late to the funeral, which aggravates Gabriela. But then, it doesn’t take much to establish the lost camaraderie between the siblings. Fernando traverses through the house and reminisces the memories of childhood. He also taunts at the ability of his father to collect antiques which now can be sold for a great price as it is as good to be kept in a museum.
Fernando had to bear the brunt of his father after the death of his mother. Until the presence of the mother, the family was running smoothly, and everything was going as planned. There are instances in the movie that tells us that they accomplished what they planned. But all of a sudden, the death of the mother placed all the onus of raising the children onto the father. The father, thus, wasn’t prepared to handle it all by himself, nor was the son prepared to become responsible. Hence, the conflict between the father and the son. This ultimately led Fernando to leave the house, do his studies, work with a bank in Singapore, and not return for 15 long years. But the reunion reawakens all these memories and sets the tone of the movie.
Childhood Dream & Promise Fulfilled:
While they play ping pong, the walls between them crash, and the ice breaks. They soon become friends and share with each other whatsoever they want to. Right under the ping pong table, they notice their childhood stuff that had in it all the promises they had made to each other to go on a trip when they were 18 years old, but it never came to fruition. They sit and read the rules and realize that the trip ought to be made on motorcycles that their father gifted. Although the bikes in their father’s garage have turned vintage, they decide to fulfill the undertaking they had made to each other and start the journey from San Miguel de Allende to Acapulco.
A Road Trip that Helps Them Discover their Lives:
Drunk as they are, they start the trip without much planning, deciding to take turns doing whatever the other intends to do without complaining. In the process, they join in a wine-and-cheese festival and are reminded of their old tap-dance routine, which they would practice regularly. They dance, and they enthrall the audience. At the same place, they meet two cousins with whom they have special times together. Gabriela thinks that the man she meets at the festival can give her the sexual pleasure she desires, but then she experiences tantric sex. Fernando is also rightly kept at a distance by the man’s cousin.
They chance upon two hitchhikers who need a lift from the festival to a hippie gathering, where they accidentally consume too many drugs and reveal their hidden lives to each other. Fernando speaks about his son Riccardo. Gabriela desiring to see her nephew, convinces Fernando to meet Riccardo. They follow Riccardo when he walks to the park to play soccer with his friends. They play with him and establish closeness.
Fernando is unstable and undecided about whether he wants to take up the responsibility of fatherhood. After this one incident, they chance upon a restaurant where they see some individuals playing ping pong. Fernando and Gabriela started this journey by playing ping pong, and they want to end it by playing ping pong. Thus, they bet on their motorbikes and play ping pong. But then they lose the match by 11 points and get into trouble with the opponents. Somehow, they manage to escape and return home safe and sound after having replenished their souls.
All the Places (2023) Movie Ending, Explained:
Gabriela & Fernando had undertaken an uncertain journey, and did they make it home safely? Fernando and Gabriela were so drunk the night of their father’s funeral. They chanced upon the childhood fantasy and decided to embark on a journey they weren’t prepared for. They didn’t decide where they would stay and what they would wear or eat. As a consequence, Fernando, upon receiving a phone call from his workplace in Singapore, decides to return, leaving Gabriela to complete the rest of the trip.
Gabriela confirms that Fernando is an escapist. He runs away from the responsibilities that he should have carried on with. Gabriela’s words make Fernando stay back, complete the trip, and learn much about each other. Gabriela understands that she remained stuck back home. She didn’t give it a chance to explore the world around her and open her horizons. Fernando now slowly understands that it is necessary to take responsibility for one’s actions and not shy away from them. Fernando and Gabriela certainly return home safely. They also return to their original selves, and although it was an external journey, it turns beneficial as they also turn inward and correct their wayward selves. Thus, literally and figuratively, they return home safe and healed.
Does Fernando realize the importance of children or relationships?
It is through his sister Fernando slowly understands how vital relationships are. And the need to belong to someone. Gabriela was going through her divorce and also the depression of not having the possibility to be a mother. Gabriela had learned it the hard way. So, she makes her brother understand that Riccardo shouldn’t miss his father’s touch. Fernando thinks about it. He is unsure whether he is ready to shoulder a father’s responsibility.
But then, don’t we learn along the way? At everything we do, we are trying it for the first time. And until and unless we try, we wouldn’t know whether we can or not. Gabriela makes Fernando meet Riccardo and notice how they look alike and how nice it would be to seriously carry on as his father. Hence, Fernando, after having finished the trip, goes straight to meet Ricardo and explains to him that he is his father. Perhaps, breaking this news to his son wasn’t easy for Fernando. But his attempt at visiting his son towards the end of the movie shows that he hasn’t learned the importance of relationships. That he is now ready to make amends. He is now ready to forgive his father, with whom he had conflicts. Resolving the conflicts with his father, he gives his relationship with his son a chance.
Does Gabriela move on with her life after the road trip?
Gabriela had turned pessimistic after her divorce and the news that she would never be a mother. That she didn’t want to give life another chance. But this trip gave her a new perspective. She decided to give life another chance by trying out different things. She was no more a coward. She tried to explore new relationships at the festival and thereafter. As usual, she was responsible; thus, she wanted to complete the trip they had started, although they were under the influence of alcohol.
She wasn’t someone who would back off all of a sudden. Gabriela might have learned it the hard way, but she always gave it her best shot. She was ready to learn and assume responsibility. She is also ready to accept that she is at fault and that only she can correct herself. Gabriela listens to her brother and decides to go on a long trip to undecided places. She does move on with her life. She does take uncertain chances that could either make or break her life.
Fernando and Gabriela visit all the places by road and have the best life they dreamt of. They also visit all the dark places of their selves and find healing together.
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All The Places (2023) Movie Links – IMDb
All The Places (2023) Movie Cast – Ana Claudia Talancón, Ana Serradilla, Mauricio Ochmann
Where to watch All the Places
