Film: The Secret in Their Eyes
Cast includes: Richardo Darin (El Hijo de la Novia), Soledad Villamil (It’s not you, It’s Me), Pablo Rago (The Good Destiny), Guillermo Francella (Incorregibles)
Screenplay/Directon: José Campanella (Luna de Avellaneda)
Genre: Drama/mystery/thriller/humor, Spanish with subtitles (2009)
In brief:As the train departs from Platform 8, he wants to reach out… No… scratch that. He remembers every detail of their last breakfast together… the tea, the honey… No…scratch that, too. Why is this so hard? Benjamin Esposito, a recently retired court investigator, has to write if he’s ever going to put the Morales case behind him. But where should he start? When he goes to see his former boss, Irene, and tells her that he’s trying to write about the Morales case, we can see it’s a touchy subject. Why now? It’s been over 20 years. But this is the one case that has stayed with Esposito. He has to revisit it and get some things resolved. And we suspect Esposito is revisiting more than just the Morales case.
That day in Buenos Aires in 1974 started like many others. Esposito didn’t want this case, but when he saw Liliana’s body, he knew he needed to bring the killer to justice. What was especially disturbing was the contrast between the photographs of Liliana… beautiful and very much alive… and her shockingly brutalized body. Esposito made a promise to Liliana’s devastated husband, Ricardo, that he would find the killer. But before he could really start on the case, two day laborers from the neighborhood were arrested by another investigator. When Esposito went to the jail and met them, they had obviously been beaten into confessing. The real killer was still out there. The first clue came when Esposito visited the grieving husband and notices the photo albums. As he looked through them, there was one young man who stood out. Who was he? Richardo didn’t know. There was something troubling about his eyes. It was just a hunch, but it started Esposito on a line of pursuit that looked promising. Unfortunately, solving the case wasn’t the only problem Esposito had. But he wouldn’t really appreciate the complexity of the situation until he made some serious errors that couldn’t be undone.
Nothing about this suspenseful drama turns out the way we think it’s going to. The filmmakers give us several clues along the way, but the pieces don’t fit together until the very end. Even when we think it’s coming together, it takes unexpected turns. The Secret in Their Eyes is visually appealing and there are some excellent performances… as we’d expect since it won Best Foreign Film at this year’s Academy Awards. There are some things that will feel foreign to American audiences. For example, the comedic touches may seem a bit out of place in the narrative, and the plot structure certainly doesn’t follow a pattern we’re used to. A little knowledge of Argentine history and culture could have come in handy, but isn’t totally necessary for following the main plot points. Those who enjoy an intriguing mystery will certainly find this one haunting and very worthwhile.
3 popped kernels
Iinteresting plot development, excellent acting and production
Popcorn Profile
Primary Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Appeal: Any audience
Distribution: Art house
Mood: Somber
Tempo: In no hurry
Visual Style: Unvarnished realism
Character Development: Intense
Language: Spanish
Social Significance: Thought provoking
