Secret in their Eyes, the/El secreto de sus ojos - The Secret is Out  
| Two of my favourite movies from last year were the Oscar Nominated (Foreign Language Film) Un Prophete and Das Weisse Band, yet they both lost out to a movie that I hadn't heard of before. The Secret in Their Eyes was not only deserving of the Oscar but easily would have made my best of the year list if I had seen it in time.
It is a profoundly engaging and affecting film that is a mystery, thriller, revenge tale, crime story, comedy and romance all rolled into one. At just over two hours, the film never loses its momentum and held my attention thoroughly in its grasps. It tells the story of a retired federal agent, Benjamin Esposito (the incredibly convincing and moving Ricardo Darin) who decided to write a novel about the case that has haunted him throughout his career. The case being, the murder and rape of a woman whose case was never fully solved, and whose many loose threads are still hanging.
The writer/director Juan Jose Campanella does an outstanding job of weaving this tale in front of our eyes by switching between the present (Esposito writing his novel, and meeting with old friends) and the past (the crime and case that followed). He has a great knack for switching genres mid scene while maintaining a sense of purpose throughout. The film really caught me off guard with a some very funny scenes and lines, only to be followed by some very moving and heart wrenching ones which could then be followed by an adrenaline pumping chase scene. However, it never loses its identity and is truly a great find.
The acting in the film is top notch with Darin providing the heart and soul of the film. However I must give special mention to both Guillermo Francella (the always drunk, Pablo Sandoval) who plays Esposito’s partner, has great one liners throughout , and provides much of the humour. The other being Pablo Rago (the devastated husband, Ricardo Morales) who is heartbreaking as a man who can’t forget his wife or forgive the assailant. His role remains secondary throughout the film, but when he is the focus, especially in the last act of the film, it truly is a real, and memorable performance.
The film is beautifully shot, and contains some amazing scenes. The most awe inspiring being a one take zoom in into a soccer stadium, to the crowd, and that continues to a chase scene that ends on the field. It must be close to five minutes long and is bravura filmmaking at its finest, and are as good as the shots in Children of Men. Another thing I should mention is that the film remains at its heart a tale of unrequited love which seeps to the surface but never becomes melodramatic or eye rollingly obvious.
I don’t know what more I can say other than you must go out and watch this film while it is still playing at theatres. I truly loved it, and it is an amazing ride from the artful opening to the gut wrenching finale. The Secret in Their Eyes is masterful.
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