True Love?

Rating: 9/10 (25 April 2010)

Oh, there are questions all right? Plenty of questions about what really happened? There will be answers, too, and they will be satisfying and maybe, even huge revelations to fit this epic drama, where people express themselves openly, and yet their own emotions take backstage to the drama of others, just like we forget we're watching a film and surrender ourselves to its hypnotic and bewitching power.
Set in a bureaucratic world where who you know will open doors and determine the safety of your future, a couple is in the middle of a drama which originates when a young and beautiful woman is brutally murdered. As the investigation proceeds, emotions grow, and in a perfect, isolated world, things would turn out easier. What develops is a messy situation where everyone becomes more and more frustrated because this world after all, is not forgiving or perfect, and sometimes justice is nothing else but a name or a word with not really weight.
As the onion layers are peeled, and we know more and more about what really happened in the drama that spans for 25 years, we discover that love is such a powerful force that it refuses to die, but it's not infallible and it's pretty confusing. There are after all, social classes, political mazes, and personal vendettas to block the road for our hero and heroine. There are also many fantastic pieces of dialog, and some very realistic recreations of what working in a government entity is like. As one of the main characters states: "It's my life, live yours." It's easy to be overwhelmed by the drama of others, especially if we get too close to the source of the mess.
This film deservedly won many accolades, and in one of those rare moments, was fairly recognized with the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Its two closest contenders would have made the Top 10 Best Picture list a better indicator of films with better craftsmanship, storytelling, and the true magic of a great film. I had a tough time choosing between "The White Ribbon" and "The Prophet". They're great films; yet there is something powerful and very touching at the heart of this movie, something that connects with our human needs, and that elevates the film a bit higher than the other films. One will gasp at the end of the final scene, one that summarizes the message of "The Secret of Their Eyes", an appropriate title if I ever saw one.
This film is not perfect; its length is a bit of a problem, but it's got epic feelings, classic moments, and a very satisfying conclusion, a moment that cinephiles around the world will recognize and embrace. Maybe because they don't make them like these anymore, certainly American studios don't put them out as much anymore...