MUBI

A pretty basic story plays out a lot like an episode of Cold Case, just with better characterization. The characterization actually sells the majority of the movie, although the misfortune there is that the only interesting characters are the supporting ones . The two leads of the film are dreadfully boring and since their decade-spanning unrequited love is kind of the thing that’s supposed to make the film more than just a standard crime thriller, it falls a little flat in a lot of respects. But the crime itself is incredibly interesting and, even though you know who the killer is early on, the race to find him and the impact the crime leaves on these people over decades is fascinating to watch. The film never really drags, which is impressive for something that’s pretty formula.

There are also some truly stunning scenes. A chase scene through a packed Argentinian soccer stadium is definitely up there when it comes to intense scenes this year; definitely left a lump in my throat. There’s also an interrogation scene that’s very chilling. There are some great performances too, notably from Pablo Rago, who plays the man widowed by the brutal rape and murder of his wife (not a spoiler, it’s the first scene in the movie). He expertly plays a man going through the stages of grief and his final scene is absolutely chilling. That final scene of his also happens to be the best scene of the year so far, as far as I’m concerned. The film’s end shook me to my fucking core and after three days I’m still thinking about it. Unfortunately the rest of the film couldn’t have the same effect.

Durante la grabación de Yo Confieso (1953) Alfred Hitchcock y Montgomery Clift tuvieron varios desacuerdos. El más importante se debía a que el actor era incapaz de comprender por qué el inglés le pedía hacer gestos en los primeros planos. Cliff –ferviente usuario de “el método”- no vislumbraba que para Hitchcock una sola mirada ante la cámara desanudaba las intenciones, los pensamientos del personaje.
Juan José Campanella (El hijo de la novia, 2001), sí lo comprendió. Tomó ese detalle del maestro y lo maximizó en su filme ganador del Óscar Mejor Película Extrajera El secreto de tus ojos (2009).

El guión cuenta la historia de Benjamín Esposito (Ricardo Darín), un policía retirado que ante la inutilidad de su vida decide convertirse en novelista. Con el propósito de exorcizar uno de sus recuerdos. Un crimen de una monstruosidad inconmensurable, fosilizado en su memoria.

La investigación del asesinato es el hilo conductor de trama, alternando el retiro de Esposito con flashbacks. Ahí se nota el bagaje adquirido por Campanella en Estados Unidos, su trabajo en suelo americano consistía en dirigir episodios de La Ley y El Orden y Doctor House.
Al igual que en esas series televisivas –las cuales le deben mucho a Hitchcock-, para el argentino lo más importante no es el crimen en sí, sino todo lo que se desarrolla alrededor de la tragedia.

De esta manera el director combina humor, tragedia y amor buscando que su película sea disfrutable antes que pretensiosa. Por eso una mirada lo es todo.

Así el amor/obsesión que denota la mirada de Isidoro (Javier Godino), en una serie de fotografías viejas, es que motiva a Esposito a continuar con el caso, una mirada que él conoce muy bien. Como espectadores comprobamos en las instantáneas de la fiesta de compromiso de Irene (Soledad Villamil), que los ojos de Benjamín tienen la misma mirada para su amor prohibido.

En ése sentido la elección del reparto no podría ser mejor. Cada uno de los histriones es dueño de un semblante lleno de matices. Un gesto, un guiño es todo lo que necesitamos para saber lo que piensan.

Por ejemplo Guillermo Francella y su entrañable interpretación como Pablo Sandoval, la mano derecha de Esposito. Con un primer plano de sus ojos, entendemos que es capaz de dar la vida por su único amigo. Podríamos repasar uno a uno los miembros del reparto y no hay quien esté exento de tan singular característica.

Campanella tiene la ventaja de vivir y hacer cine en una época dónde la censura se ha relajado bastante. Las escenas de la violación y asesinato de Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo) nos ayudan a comprender la fijación del detective por este homicidio en particular. Algo que a Hitchcock no le hubiera sido permitido por David O. Selznick, ni el Código Hays.

El cineasta argentino logra la combinación entre arte y entretenimiento, algo que rara vez buscan, y menos obtienen, los realizadores latinoamericanos.

Apoyado en una adecuada ambientación de la Argentina de los años 70, destacando el fotógrafo, Félix Monti; sólo el perfecto plano secuencia del estadio de futbol bien vale el boleto de entrada.

No hay necesidad de que el cine latinoamericano sea pretencioso en sus fines, lo único que se necesita es contar una buena historia.
Campanella nos enseña que los ojos son la ventana de nuestras emociones, el espacio dónde nuestras intenciones están a la vista de todos, no importa si eres un asesino o un simple enamorado.

La mise en scène est un peu paresseuse pour avoir mérité un oscar, mais l’histoire et le suspens sont prenants. Ce film noir, classique, bien ficelé, nous attrape et nous emporte sans en ajouter des tonnes, mais toujours en donnant de la place aux personnages et à leurs relations. Un film d’atmosphère qui se joue du mélodrame incandescent, à la manière de Jacques Audiard, pour en faire une grande histoire à l’américaine, peuplée de personnages marqués et marquants.

Quizás el Oscar debería haber ido a The White Ribbon de Haneke o a Un prophète de Jacques Audiard que son ciertamente dos películas muy buenas incluso podría atreverme a decir que son mejores que El Secreto de sus Ojos. El detalle es que ésta última está realizada con un exactitud y una simpleza (esto se hace evidente luego de verla por segunda vez) que sorprende porque últimamente se está apelando a tantos recursos para contar una historia, recursos que en muchos casos no aportan nada a la película en si misma (el 3D es lo primero que viene a mi mente) que la elegancia con que esta dirigida esta película de verdad sorprende, elegancia que viene como dije antes de hacer correctamente lo que se necesita.

Las actuaciones, la edición, el mismo guión, todo está dosificado genialmente. Si quizás la historia no es la más original pero me gusta pensar que El Secreto de Sus Ojos es similar a una canción que hemos escuchado infinidad de veces, pero que tiene la capacidad de sorprendernos una vez más.

Juan Jose Campanella’s The Secret in Their Eyes holds a secret of its own. It’s not that the film contains a twist ending, exactly, but that it confounds our expectations. It’s an engaging thriller concealing a tale of romance and deep emotion. That Campanella is able to deliver on both facets of his story is the film’s greatest strength.

In 2000, Benjamin, a retired criminal investigator, reunites with his old friend and superior, Irene, explaining that he’s decided to write a book about “the Morales case”. Irene’s smile fades and her face darkens. In 1974, a woman was raped and murdered and Benjamin is still tortured by the case and the possibility that the killer remains free. The film, jumping gracefully between the two eras, explores both the investigation of the crime and the love between Benjamin and Irene, left unspoken for years.

The film handles this tricky twin story well, taking the time to fit its many pieces into place. It’s never dull or uninteresting, but the slow revelation of the policier case details in the first act demands some patience. The emotions of the characters, too, are reveled gradually. Ultimately, however, this tactic speaks to Campanella’s restraint both as a screenwriter and director. Rather than weigh the film down with unnecessary dialogue and exposition, he lets the important details rise and fall naturally: a truly refreshing and mature decision.

Campanella also exhibits a visual flare that’s engrossing while still serving the needs of the film. Even if he use a few too many Dutch angles that too blatantly mirror the confusion of his characters, Campanella’s camera is strong and confident. He gives both time periods a unique look without resorting to saturating the past in a smokey, orange sepia haze. In one scene of bravura filmmaking, his camera flies in from above a soccer stadium before singling out one person among the crowd. The chaotic long take that follows is almost as impressive as those in Children of Men.

The film surprises in other ways as well. The acting is universally strong, especially from Ricardo Darín as Benjamin and, in a curious supporting role, Guillermo Francella as Benjamin’s alcoholic coworker, Pablo. Pablo has a nicely developed arc of his own and some surprisingly funny moments, but he might be a bit too clownish for such a serious film.

By the end of the film, all the pieces that Campanella has painstakingly laid fit together. The ending satisfies not for its narrative conclusion, (which needlessly presents itself as a shocking twist) but for its thematic resolution. Like any great ending, it deepens, not simplifies, what has come before it. The Secret in Their Eyes revels itself as a web of men enslaved by the past and burdened by memories they can’t shake and as a film that’s far more than the sum of its parts.

It’s about memories of the past, what fills a life, passion, and secrets.

Benjamin Esposito (Darin) wishes to write a book about an unresolved murder mystery he investigated 25 years ago. He reconnects with Irene Menendez Hastings (Villamil), his court office supervisor of the time. Back then she was engaged, now she is married with kids, yet there is a romantic spark that goes unspoken between them. The story is self aware of being composed of Esposito’s memories. Some parts of what is shown to have happened 25 years ago may not be objective facts. For instance, Irene questions if Benjamin perhaps wrote the scene where they part at the train station too over-romantically.

Liliana Coloto is the young woman who was raped and murdered. Her husband Morales (Rago) takes it hard. Morales tells Esposito how he feels the death sentence is not fair, but a life sentence, a life full of nothing is proper punishment. Despite some corruption in the Argentinian courts of the 1970’s Esposito and his often drunk co-worker Sandoval (Francella) track down the suspect Isidoro Gomez (Godino) and with Irene’s help Gomez is revealed to be a really nasty guy. The court system’s ability to serve justice is broken though because of a couple corrupt administrators. Esposito’s life is at risk, so he must leave the case unresolved. That is until 25 years later when he returns to tie up loose ends. What secrets can he reveal? What gaps can he fill in to the story? Can he complete his book with a typewriter with a broken “A” key?

The camera captures many interesting compositions. The story, told through many flashbacks, holds your attention with a forward momentum. It mixes thrills and love. And, oooh, the surprise at the end! The actors all do an excellent job and believably age with the help of skilled makeup work.

while i didn’t completely agree that this is the best foreign films of the 2010’s oscar ( i still think that The White Ribbon and A Prophet is a better film ), but i have to admit that this is a very taut, and emotional thriller. Combining a murder mystery…, and love story, into one very nice package. The film open slowly. director Campanella takes his times to builds and set up the story. At the first hour, those who didn’t have a lot of patience, and demanding an intriguing thriller, may be disappointed. But that is the main power of the film. Unlike any other film, which tend to open with a bang just to lose its charm latter, in this film, the case seems to be different. as minutes passing, the tension raise a bar, and the story always goes into something unexpected and unpredictable. even the twist at the end of the film is great. There are many scenes to be remembered though. the first one is the scene in the football game. I don’t know how the crew pull it apart, but man, that scene is incredible. the second is the elevator scene, which is for me, one of the most tense moment of the film (just watch it and you will understand), so overall, while not a groundbreaking cinematic things, but this film is an above par thriller i’ve seen in a long time. not without its flaw, but still great to kill some slack time

Heard about it after the Oscars awards but never ventured into a 2h 20min viewing until last night. It turned out to be one of the best movies I have seen lately.
Definitely will get an American remake sometime in the future and it will ruin every aspect of the story (as usual). The acting is superb (makeup is a bit rusty though) especially that the movie spans 25 years.
Amazing Argentinian movie that I would recommend to any cinema lover.

A edição/montagem pareceu antiquada. Mas como o roteiro brinca com tempos e épocas, talvez isso também tenha sido uma figura de linguagem que completa o conceito do filme.

O enredo e o roteiro são muito bons. Entrete, prende, surpreende torna o espectador participante e, ainda assim, faz rir sem ser idiota, sem parecer forçado. As atuações são um destaque.

É um filme sobre a prisão perpétua de algoz, vitima e apaixonados.

There exists a word among the Yaghan indigenous people of Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina: Mamihlapinatapai. What the English language fails to convey in this “succinct word,” Argentinian auteur Juan José Campanella captures so elegantly in this exquisite œuvre.

SPOILER ALERT: The rape & murder of an innocent young fiancée thirty years ago haunts Benjamín Esposito, the detective who was assigned to the case. The distant memories creep not because the murder remained unsolved, however. On the contrary, the authorities catch & convict the killer, but a loophole in the corrupt system leaves the department stunned, the devoted widower without justice, & the killer a window to seek revenge. Throughout this bounty hunt, a bittersweet romance flourishes as another stands the test of time.

Meaningful dialogue & a graceful cast round out this superb film. You should see the way these characters age! I hope I look as handsome as the protagonist in thirty years. If you like a film with good, unambiguous closure, then this film is for you.