Entertaining Pot Boiler

Rating: 8/10 (6 June 2019)

A fairly compelling Argentinean pot boiler that weaves past and present into a part mystery thriller/part romantic drama about life's unresolved dilemmas.
A former legal counselor is haunted by a brutal rape and murder case that goes unsolved -- or rather, it's solved, but the criminal isn't brought to justice because of corruption within the Argentinean legal system. Meanwhile, he's also filled with regret about a romantic relationship he failed to pursue with his boss, passions which are reignited when she comes back into his life years later as he is gathering research for a novel he plans to write about the rape/murder case.
"The Secret in Their Eyes" is at its best when dealing with the criminal investigation at its center. It's on shakier ground with the romance, primarily because the two leads don't have a lot of chemistry. We're just told they're smitten with each other, but we never really feel it. Also, the film's execution at times teeters toward the painfully strained, most notably in a scene where the two protagonists are trying to bully a confession out of the man they suspect of being the rapist/murderer. I always felt the film was trying to be smarter than the material would allow, as if the film makers couldn't be content with letting it be a plot-driven thriller (which is what it's really begging to be). But despite these criticisms, it's a very good and crafty film. I'm not surprised that Hollywood decided it needed an American remake, and I'm even less surprised that the powers that be (by all accounts, as I've not seen it) botched it.
"The Secret in Their Eyes" won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2009. While it was a respectable choice for that honor, the award should hands down have gone to "The White Ribbon." The first film may leave you with a feeling of quiet unease; the second will get into your head and stay there forever.
Grade: A-