A man faces two situations that need closure

Rating: 9/10 (25 August 2014)

Someone on this board stated that he is normally a harsh critic of Argentinian films. I give him credit because I wouldn't know an Argentinian movie if the movie reel hit me in the face. I wish I were that discerning.
"The Secret in Their Eyes" is indeed an Argentinian movie, and an intriguing and dramatic one.
In 1999, a retired federal justice, Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) decides to write a novel. Over the years, he has never forgotten the horrific rape and murder of Liliana Coloto, and the complete devastation of her husband Ricardo Morales. He does a rough draft and brings it to an ex-coworker, Irene Menendez Hastings (Soledad Villamil) for her opinion. She, along with Benjamin and his assistant Pablo Sandoval were all affected by the case.
Back then, some 25 years earlier, Benjamin sees a photograph of Liliana with some schoolmates, and zeroes in on one man, Isidoro Gomez (Javier Godino) whom he sees looking at Liliana in the picture. "Something in his eyes," he says -- and it's something he recognizes, having been in love with Irene all these years. Gomez was ultimately caught, released, and vanished. The case was closed.
Benjamin revisits the case now, reminiscing with Irene, who has continued with the Justice Department. The end of the case has always bothered him, but he can't put his finger on WHY. Though he can fictionalize his novel, he won't be happy until he really closes this case.
Dark, mysterious, violent, with a shocking ending, "The Secret in Their Eyes" is a marvelous, absorbing film, filled with atmosphere as Benjamin attempts to resolve his life and Liliana's tragic murder. Beautifully directed by Juan Jose Campanella, this in many ways is a difficult story -- difficult because it's not filled with special effects and excitement, but flashbacks and characters. Ricardo Darin as Benjamin Esposito is terrific - warm, likable, and emotional as a man seeking the truth of the case and the truth of himself. All of the acting is strong.
Passion matters in this film; you can change many things about a man, Pablo Sandoval says, but you cannot change his passion. Passion, no matter how many years pass, is the key.