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The Secret in their eyes / El secreto de sus ojos (2009) Campanella
Dark Horse running
Last year's Oscar race for the Best foreign film was dominated by two front runners. "The White Ribbon" while dazzling to behold (all those silky whites and velvety blacks)---it was more than a little baffling. Another of Haneke's carefully composed mind bombs? Does Evil has to be confronted and exposed otherwise it flourishes in ignorance and secrecy? ... Duh! Does Corporal punishment induce a generation of goose stepping Nazi's? I'm not to sure about that one. But never underestimate the carefully administrated can of Whoop Ass when dealing with the little people. With "The Prophet" although I could appreciate the subtle remixing of genres; the prison drama + the gangster film with just a splash of social commentary. This was more enjoyable but still a little precious. However, right at the wire " The Secret in their eyes" came flying by like a bat out of hell to win. Easily the more accessible of the three.
The film is filled with little ideas and nice touches. The idea of passion; You can run for as long as you want to, but you'll never escape from your passion---it's what defines you. The idea of memory and the imperative of culling unhappy ones---since at the end, that's all that will remain, memories. Deliberately selecting them makes for a more brighter future down the road.
There's easy chemistry between the three main actors: Ricardo Darin (A Campanella regular in his Spanish language film work) as Benjamin Es ... Po ... Si ... To ... and his hard working co-worker in the desk beside him, Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella in a dramatic role, He's a comedian by trade) Soledad Villamil rounds out this trio as Irene, their no nonsense and seemingly inaccessible Boss.
The novel idea; in one of Esposito's many false starts as a newbie novelist, he tries out the first person, which places him in the apartment. So when he arrives on the crime scene, he's automatically implicated and obviously guilty in some way. Although his direct implication in the crime is quickly explained away, this guilt remains and will remain with him his entire life. Guilt for not having better fulfilled his obligations as a court investigator. Guilt for not having done more. Guilt for not having been a better man. Guilt for not having the courage to love.
The Romance? Benjamin and Irene would have been a mismatched couple. Esposito's always resisted openly declaring his love for Irene. But of course, it's always there in his eyes, the way he looks at her, and in her eyes looking back, and an open secret to everyone around them, for that matter. But Esposito's older than Irene, a working class stiff. She's the educated daughter from a prominent family. She's his superior. She's a little quicker on her feet than him. Take the interrogation scene or when Esposito and Pablo for a joke, dictate a fake resignation letter from a Judge declaring himself a mental defective and incompetent to hold office. She pops in and asks them to read back what they've already got. Then dictates a better one on the spot. When the Judge in question shows up moments later, she slips it seamlessly into a pile of letters needing his official signature. But all those things pale in comparison to the husband of the murdered woman. His relentless passion for his dead wife which never flags and never dies. Esposito confesses to him later in the film, He's never seen this level of love in anyone in his life, ever. Maybe Benjamin fears he could never love Irene well enough?
The office humour was a hoot. The personnel routinely give to one another with exalted ranks and titles that have nothing to do with the menial nature of their actual functions. Pablo also---not wanting to be bothered needlessly at work, answers the office phone pretending to be everywhere but the justice department. He gets off a few comic zingers.
The broken typewriter that gets passed around from office to office. A nice comment that even before the military coup d'état, the Argentinean justice system was already in a sorry state.
The life full of nothing that's reserved for the grieving husband of the murdered woman, he tried to pick up the pieces of his broken life but found he could never love again. Because since he reveres life, he's uncomfortable with capital punishment. But wants the man who did the crime put in a tiny prison cell; living days full of nothing for the rest of his life for what he did. But this nothingness also finds a faint echo in Esposito's judicial career.
And a nice dig at the ruling military junta during the 70's, that rapists and murders were held in such high esteem by that sterling organization.
Even the story, It's set in a dark period of Argentine history just a couple of years before the Dirty war, but concentrates on single crime, which could be merely the mcguffin in a mystery story or it could serve to represent that large moment in Argentinean history. It's easy to see why Academy voters fell for this film. Although one wouldn't suspect a such a story would be hopeful. "The Secret in their eyes" is hopelessly romantic.
N.B. One prime for the film, watch for the continuous take that begins miles above a soccer stadium.
Dark Horse running
Last year's Oscar race for the Best foreign film was dominated by two front runners. "The White Ribbon" while dazzling to behold (all those silky whites and velvety blacks)---it was more than a little baffling. Another of Haneke's carefully composed mind bombs? Does Evil has to be confronted and exposed otherwise it flourishes in ignorance and secrecy? ... Duh! Does Corporal punishment induce a generation of goose stepping Nazi's? I'm not to sure about that one. But never underestimate the carefully administrated can of Whoop Ass when dealing with the little people. With "The Prophet" although I could appreciate the subtle remixing of genres; the prison drama + the gangster film with just a splash of social commentary. This was more enjoyable but still a little precious. However, right at the wire " The Secret in their eyes" came flying by like a bat out of hell to win. Easily the more accessible of the three.
The film is filled with little ideas and nice touches. The idea of passion; You can run for as long as you want to, but you'll never escape from your passion---it's what defines you. The idea of memory and the imperative of culling unhappy ones---since at the end, that's all that will remain, memories. Deliberately selecting them makes for a more brighter future down the road.
There's easy chemistry between the three main actors: Ricardo Darin (A Campanella regular in his Spanish language film work) as Benjamin Es ... Po ... Si ... To ... and his hard working co-worker in the desk beside him, Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella in a dramatic role, He's a comedian by trade) Soledad Villamil rounds out this trio as Irene, their no nonsense and seemingly inaccessible Boss.
The novel idea; in one of Esposito's many false starts as a newbie novelist, he tries out the first person, which places him in the apartment. So when he arrives on the crime scene, he's automatically implicated and obviously guilty in some way. Although his direct implication in the crime is quickly explained away, this guilt remains and will remain with him his entire life. Guilt for not having better fulfilled his obligations as a court investigator. Guilt for not having done more. Guilt for not having been a better man. Guilt for not having the courage to love.
The Romance? Benjamin and Irene would have been a mismatched couple. Esposito's always resisted openly declaring his love for Irene. But of course, it's always there in his eyes, the way he looks at her, and in her eyes looking back, and an open secret to everyone around them, for that matter. But Esposito's older than Irene, a working class stiff. She's the educated daughter from a prominent family. She's his superior. She's a little quicker on her feet than him. Take the interrogation scene or when Esposito and Pablo for a joke, dictate a fake resignation letter from a Judge declaring himself a mental defective and incompetent to hold office. She pops in and asks them to read back what they've already got. Then dictates a better one on the spot. When the Judge in question shows up moments later, she slips it seamlessly into a pile of letters needing his official signature. But all those things pale in comparison to the husband of the murdered woman. His relentless passion for his dead wife which never flags and never dies. Esposito confesses to him later in the film, He's never seen this level of love in anyone in his life, ever. Maybe Benjamin fears he could never love Irene well enough?
The office humour was a hoot. The personnel routinely give to one another with exalted ranks and titles that have nothing to do with the menial nature of their actual functions. Pablo also---not wanting to be bothered needlessly at work, answers the office phone pretending to be everywhere but the justice department. He gets off a few comic zingers.
The broken typewriter that gets passed around from office to office. A nice comment that even before the military coup d'état, the Argentinean justice system was already in a sorry state.
The life full of nothing that's reserved for the grieving husband of the murdered woman, he tried to pick up the pieces of his broken life but found he could never love again. Because since he reveres life, he's uncomfortable with capital punishment. But wants the man who did the crime put in a tiny prison cell; living days full of nothing for the rest of his life for what he did. But this nothingness also finds a faint echo in Esposito's judicial career.
And a nice dig at the ruling military junta during the 70's, that rapists and murders were held in such high esteem by that sterling organization.
Even the story, It's set in a dark period of Argentine history just a couple of years before the Dirty war, but concentrates on single crime, which could be merely the mcguffin in a mystery story or it could serve to represent that large moment in Argentinean history. It's easy to see why Academy voters fell for this film. Although one wouldn't suspect a such a story would be hopeful. "The Secret in their eyes" is hopelessly romantic.
N.B. One prime for the film, watch for the continuous take that begins miles above a soccer stadium.