Thrilling acting, cinematography and editing.

Rating: 9/10 (12 November 2015)

The story is incredibly told with great editing, directing, cinematography and acting. Starting out like a normal crime film, the movie juxtaposes the present with those of the past, and along with Benjamin, the audience recounts the past through his memories. It gets more and more complex, as when a suspect is found, what seems to be the end turns out to be the beginning of a mystery. The film also displays the corruption within the legal system, and the battle between evil and good, with Benjamin being the embodiment of morality.
The acting as well is great. The connection and chemistry between both Darin and Villamil, and Darin and Francella is sweet. The film aggravates the audience by showing that both Benjamin and Irene love each other, but nothing is done about it. Similarly, there is a bromance between Benjamin and Sandoval that is touching, but heartbreaking when the relationship is broken. Rago and Godino both do a great job at showcasing their characters emotions and expressions.
What really stood out for me is the cinematography and editing. The camera moves with such fluidity across spaces that it often makes me wonder how they did it. For instance, there is a scene in a football stadium and in one continuous shot, the camera goes from a birds eye view to a close up of the characters in the stadium. I am thinking that perhaps they used a drone which is pretty impressive. Similarly, the camera work in chase scenes are just incredible, everything form the shot placement to the composition and movement. Additionally, the editing is on par with the cinematography. There are multiple scenes that do not depict what actually took place but is more of a 'preview' into other possibilities of the story. I found this to be very impactful as it disorients you and makes you think about the story more closely. It could be confusing at times though, so it is both a positive and a negative for me.
Overall a phenomenal film that tells an incredible story with great acting, cinematography and editing. Only thing is that it is a bit slow at times, but the ending is just chilling.
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