Top quality! First class! Kept me spellbound for the whole 2 hours! Bravo!
Not mere hyperbole, but perhaps I should start at the beginning -in much the same way as in the most excellent Argentinian film, The Secret in Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos). Don't read any spoilers if you're going to see this (only other screenings are Sunday 3rd & Monday 4th Oct).
Tis not often I get to see something of which I know nothing beforehand. More often than not, someone refers a title or I hear a revue on the radio driving home. This one, however, came straight out of the blue, I had no inkling as to what it would be about and was all the better for it.
The basic plot: Federal Justice Agent, the wonderfully reserved Benjamín (Ricardo Darín), is called to examine the body of a brutally raped and murdered young woman. Although the rest of the film is his story regarding the impact of this terrible crime, the real interest lies in his relationships with his boss, the beautiful Irene (Soledad Villamil), and with his boozy aide, Sandoval (Mariano Argento). These relationships keep you interested primarily because the characters are wonderfully real -beautiful! The actors are simply superb and make you want to watch them delve deeper into their parts' lives. The film's director, Juan José Campanella, carefully constructed and lovingly recreated the scenes in the 70s and 90s. The actors are also convincing in their ageing, not just through make-up and hair, but in appropriate posturing and mannerisms. It is no wonder the film received an Oscar last year for best Foreign Language Film. One of the best scenes is the 5-minute continuous take of the football stadium -from above, among the players, in the crowd and on the chase for the elusive suspect: a technical marvel.
The film is an adaptation of Eduardo Sacheri's book, La Pregunta de Sus Ojos (The Question in Their Eyes). Lots of films lose the essence of the books that inspired them, but I'm pretty certain this is not one of them. Don't take my word for it; Metacritic gave it 81/100 which means 'Universal Acclaim'!
All this and a trip to the Broadway Cinematheque in Mongkok too -can't be all that bad living in HK...
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