A secret masterpiece!

Rating: 10/10 (8 January 2011)

You are just too good to be true, can't keep my eyes off of you! And boy is that true in viewing the mastery of the Oscar-winning Best Foreign Language motion picture "The Secret in Their Eyes". The Argentinean flick is directed by Juan Jose Campanella. If Campanella's name does ring a bell, it is because he is not only an acclaimed Argentinean auteur but also has directed numerous episodes of the critically-acclaimed television series "House M.D.". Campanella also co-wrote "The Secret in Their Eyes" with Eduardo Sacheri. This movie is unlike any you have laid your eyes on before! Campanella masters the craft of developing unpredictable journeys on where the narrative of this film takes you to. "The Secret in their Eyes" stars Ricardo Darin as Benjamin Esposito, a retired lawyer who decides to write a novel on a murder case he was assigned to many years ago that still haunts him in his present life. In returning to the undiscovered aftermath scenarios of the case, Benjamin's buttons are pushed in so many variations. I will not divulge too much on the case because that will be a bit of plot snitching on the secret of "The Secret in Their Eyes". I will state that in rediscovering the case, he reunites with a past female attorney colleague Irene Menendez Hastings. Benjamin always held a secret love for Irene but was not hasty enough to express his love for her, due to the nature of the infamous case. During the time Benjamin and Irene were working on the case, they had the assistance of a wisecracking, inebriated attorney colleague Ricardo Morales. He provides the film's comic relief of an emotionally-wrenched narrative. Campanella and Sacheri's screenplay is as intense and compelling as they come! And Campanella's directorial vision of "The Secret in Their Eyes" was 20/20 perfect! His skilled orchestration of interchanging between past and present was one of the movie's finest assets. The cast of "The Secret in Their Eyes" was phenomenal! Darin's daring starring performance as Esposito was undeniably outstanding. But he was not alone, because Soledad Villamil's work as the captivating Irene was up to par with Darin's effort. And not to be left undone, Pablo Rago was exactly no rag doll with his scene-stealing performance as Morales. "The Secret in Their Eyes" was most worthy of its Best Foreign Film Academy Award, and that is no secret. ***** Excellent