When the man who has it all suddenly loses it all, his life can make such an unforeseen shift that not even he is prepared for the outcome. In Pablo Trapero’s Born and Bred, the man in this case is Santiago, played with painful resignation by Guillermo Pfening. Santiago, a successful interior designer, is married to Milli, a sleek beauty with a striking onscreen presence. Together, they have a daughter and live a secure life within the decorated walls of their safe haven in Buenos Aires.
Upon insistence from Milli, the trio ventures out on a trip to their country house. Disaster befalls them on their journey, but before the viewer can assess what has occurred, the screen is washed out with the white, desolate landscape of endless plains and snow-capped mountains looming in the background. The bleak environment slowly becomes recognizable; in the distance, figures can be seen trudging along through a thick forest, knee deep in snow, with rifles in hand. We have been transported to the barren locale of Patagonia in southern Argentina, where these figures are on the hunt for loose hares and deer. —slashfilm.com
