Brilliant Argentinian movie

Rating: 8/10 (12 January 2011)

The Oscars rarely picks the correct 'Best Picture' but what were the odds of neither 'A Prophet' or 'White Ribbon' not winning the famous statue in 2010? So when the relatively unknown Argentinian film 'The secret in their eyes' pipped the aforementioned films, i took notice. I had to wait a long time to see it, and then my beloved Duke of Yorks cinema could only show it once, at 2:30pm on a Wednesday afternoon! I had to go, leaving work early, my colleagues bemused why it was so important to see an Argentinian movie at such an odd hour!
I'd recently seen another good Argentinian movie, XXY, which cast the same lead actor, Ricardo Darin, as in this film. 'The Secret in their eyes' centres around the rape and murder of a young woman. Darin plays federal justice agent Benjamin Esposito, who is responsible for solving the murder, aided by his alcoholic assistant Pablo Sandoval, and his new boss Irene Menendez Hastings. What is essentially a formulaic plot is transformed by some superb acting and excellent direction. The film effortlessly weaves between a murder mystery and a love story, using flashback, current, and flash-forward techniques due to the story being told 25 years after the murder by Benjamin, now retired and decided to write a book about the murder.
There are moments in the film that seem more at home as television melodrama, and the plot at times is shaky in its deductions. The ending felt like it was from a Stephen King novel, but no less affective and certainly caught me by surprise. As the title to the film suggests, everything is in their eyes, and the acting by everyone was excellent. Sandoval in particular, played by Guillermo Francello, is both hilarious and touching as the alcoholic sidekick. Beautifully paced direction from Juan Jose Campanella, with echoes of the best in Hollywood film noir. Overall, a wonderful film with many admirable qualities.