Product Description
RECENTLY RETIRED CRIMINAL COURT INVESTIGATOR BENJAMIN DECIDES TO WRITE A NOVEL BASED ON A 25 YEAR OLD UNRESOLVED RAPE & MURDER CASE, WHICH STILL HAUNTS HIM. HIS SEARCH FOR THE TRUTH WILL PUT HIM AT THE CENTER OF A JUDICIAL NIGHTMARE, TESTING HIS LIMITS. FRENCH DUB TRACKAmazon.com
The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos), an Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, is part cold-case mystery, part long-lost love story, and part thriller set both in the present and in 1970s Argentina, under the tight control of its infamous military dictatorship. Director Juan José Campanella manages to tread easily across these genres with a story that’s gripping, a little outlandish, and compelling–if full of a growing sense of dread. The Secret in Their Eyes stars Ricardo Darín as Benjamin, a policeman who gets pulled into investigating a decades-old crime, and becomes drawn in, almost against his will, as layers of information about the missing (murdered?) girl slowly come to light. As Benjamin investigates, he runs into a woman for whom he has long carried a torch, Irene (Soledad Villamil), an ambitious judge who had also at one point been involved in adjudicating the old crime. The chemistry between Benjamin and Irene is part of the “secret in their eyes,” as the pull between the old colleagues becomes palpable. But also palpable is the hold that this unsolved crime has over Benjamin–a creepy borderline obsession that is reminiscent of the American film noir classic Laura. Fancy cinematography and well-crafted flashbacks to the era of the crime–set against the backdrop of the military dictatorship–add extra depth to what is a truly original story, told in layers with great intelligence. Fans of great mysteries and dramas–and of lost love that may again be found–will not want to miss The Secret in Their Eyes. –A.T. Hurley
Director Juan Jose Campanella has authored many outstanding films as “Luna de Avellaneda” (Moon of Avellaneda) (2004), “El Hijo de la Novia” (The Son of the Bride) (2001), “El Mismo Amor la Misma Lluvia” (Same Love, Same Rain) (1999) and finally the present “El Secreto de Tus Ojos” (The Secret in Their Eyes) (2009).
With these films he has won 36 awards and 18 nominations all around the world!
He is a solid narrator; his films have definitely an Argentinean flavor and at the same time express universal human emotions and recognizable values.
His opuses are first of all entertaining and deal with everyday issues: mother-son relations, the effort of some neighbors to save a small Social Club from being erased and love stories. Over this backdrop Campanella skillfully play with his endearing characters.
“The Secret in Their Eyes” is a crime story, the efforts to discover and capture the criminal and finally, when official justice fails, revenge and retribution. At the same time there is a love story, some very funny comedic scenes and some very brutal ones.
The story follows: in a small downtown apartment a young woman is raped and murdered. Benjamin Esposito is the Court investigator assigned to the case and unusual gory crime scene steels him into a fervent desire to discover and punish the criminal.
With the help of his boss, Court Secretary Irene Menendez Hastings, and dipsomaniac clerk Pablo Sandoval he solves the case against the opposition of Judge Lacalle.
Those were turbulent years in Argentina under military dictatorship and a strange combination of issues sends Benjamin into forced internal exile and the wrongdoer enters the police forces.
Many years after these events, the lives of the main characters cross again giving way to dramatic unexpected ending.
Ricardo Darin Campanella’s fetish actor (he is the main male character in all the above mentioned films) fleshes Benjamin superbly showing a vast repertory of emotions. This is not a coincidence. Darin is IMHO one of the best Argentinean actors, able to perform dramatic or comedic characters with outstanding conviction.
Beautiful Soledad Villamil as Irene delivers a performance full of subtleties and strength. Guillermo Francella as dipsomaniac sidekick of Darin is unforgettable.
Cinematography is in charge of Brazilian Felix Monti who has won many awards with this film and with many others, totalizing 18 wins and 4 nominations, all well deserved.
Finally “The Secret in Their Eyes” has won the Best Foreign Language Film of the Year Oscar!
This is a great provoking film for adult audiences. Do not miss it you’ll be delighted!
Reviewed by Max Yofre.
Rating: 5 / 5
“The Secret in their Eyes” (“El secreto de sus ojos”) was the Best Picture winner for Foreign Language Film at the Oscars this year. It was a big upset due to most people favoring “The White Ribbon” or “A Prophet” and left people asking, what is this film? It is a crime thriller interlaced with romance based on the novel by Eduardo Sacheri and was adapted for the screen by him and by director Juan José Campanella. The retired Argentinian federal justice agent Benjamín Espósito played by Ricardo Darín decides to write a novel about a case that perplexes him twenty-five years later and through revisiting those memories, more pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place.
The case was the brutal rape and murder of Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo) leaving behind a grieved husband, Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago) who unable to cope sits at the train station each day for a year hoping to spot the suspect. Espósito with the help of his assistant, Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella) and department chief Irene Menéndez-Hastings (Soledad Villamil) investigates and rules out the first accused and spends most of the story trying to track down the elusive suspected killer played by Javier Godino. Benjamín’s assistant, Sandoval is a passionate drunk who has moments of occasional brilliance in solving the case but ultimately cannot pull himself out of his stupor long enough to go home to his wife and sober up making him a bit of a screw-up and most of the film’s comic relief. When a suspect is found, Irene and Benjamín spend one of the most suspenseful elevator rides EVER on film with him.
At the same time, Benjamín has a problem of being in love with his boss, Irene. Irene is engaged to someone else and due to mentioned limitations of class and upbringing, he shuts down and fails to come up with compliments he wants to shower her with and cannot tell her what she means to him although their eyes both tell a bigger story of longing. In the present, Irene is the one Benjamín keeps bringing his novel back to for approval and they both look back on the story with dissatisfaction at the conclusion of the case and work towards trying to bring it to ultimate justice.
This is one of those movies where the title REALLY fits the film since you start watching the messages being sent with each character’s eyes throughout. Sometimes they will say one thing but their eyes communicate something else. The whole reason they came up with their main suspect was through the direction of their eyes in some photos. Ricardo Darín as Benjamín Espósito was particularly reserved in his words and facial expressions throughout the film when talking to the love of his life and their scenes together were full of enough sexual tension to cut with a knife.
The set-up of going back and forth using the past to come to terms with the present is a concept used very often and the layout of this story leads the viewer down a few different paths before bringing in a surprise that is unexpected at the end. What is fantastic about this film is the combination of elements of drama, thriller, comedy, and a great understated romance between two people who work together and fear “living a whole life full of nothing” as they gaze at each other but do not act on their impulses. There is a bit of a cliche leaving someone on a train platform scene but it does not take away from the story.
Many people are hesitant to go out to foreign language films because they find it annoying to read the subtitles but regardless, I recommend seeing this one. It is an entertaining, engaging story throughout with something for everyone in terms of emotional range and plot. Or maybe you can wait for a dub version….or an American remake….which will probably happen since it won.
Rating: 5 / 5
I agree with all the previous reviewers that this is a superb film, even though my vote for best film of the year would had been for “White Ribbon”.
All the same the film is excellent; the actors are a joy to see; direction and photography are top rate. Again, I agree with all the comments about the actors in this film, but one actor that I particularly liked was Pablo Rago as the husband of the murdered woman. He was excellent, especially in the last chilling sequence. Also, I didn’t spot a mention on that incredible single-shot sequence in the stadium. A combination of Orson Welles with Alfred Hitchcock as the camera moves from an aerial view of the stadium to the single spectator not following the football game.
The most intriguing aspect of the film comes at that final sequence where all the moral dilemmas of crime, punishment, revenge, right, wrong, etc etc come to a head without any easy or moralistic talk from the filmmakers.
Highly recommended.
Rating: 5 / 5
EL SECRETO DE SUS OJOS, based on the novel ‘LA PREGUNTA DE SUS OJOS’ by Eduardo Sacheri who with director Juan José Campanella adapted it for the screen, is a work of great subtlety and artistic taste. It is also a fine love story, detective story, and moral tale that makes every aspect of the total experience of watching the film unfold as a kaleidoscope of just how fine the art of cinema can be.
25 years ago in Argentina the murder of Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo) drew the focus of detective Benjamín Espósito (Ricardo Darin), his feisty assistant Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella) and the department chief Irene Menéndez-Hastings (Soledad Villamil). The murderer, Isidoro Gómez (Javier Godino) is captured, but because of the corrupt government, he is not kept in prison: the disgusting governmental police release him to work as an undercover agent for the government as part of the desaperacidos situation in the 1970s. The case is closed, leaving behind Ben, Irene, and Pablo completely disenchanted by the legal system, and the grieving husband of the victim Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago) to sit at the train station watching for answers. Now, in the present, Ben returns and is convinced he wants to write a novel about the murder he still finds suspicious. Together with Irene (who remains a love interest for the shy Ben) and Pablo, the three research every aspect of the case. In attempting to discover the truth of the murder each of their lives is changed: the communication on the part of every character is through the looks in their eyes until the story ends in a very surprising manner. Justice is served, love prevails, and the novel is written.
This may seem too fragile an outline of a plot about a film as important as this, but the true beauty of the film is the unraveling of events and the development of the characters: sharing too much information would destroy the complete pleasure the film provides. Every member of the cast is brilliant, the chemistry between Darin and Villamil is so subtle and credible, and the acts of violence we are asked to witness are delivered in a way that make the story line progress to a breathtaking end. Campanella’s direction (and editing) is of the finest cinematic achievement and the cinematography by Félix Mont and the haunting musical score by Federico Jusid and Emilio Kauderer heighten all facets of the action – love, terror, violence, and character of each of the actors. This is a film to own, as repeated viewings of it will be like repeated visits to an art museum. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, September 10
Rating: 5 / 5
“The Secret in Their Eyes”, which won the Oscar in 2010 for best foreign film, is a terrific movie, a thriller with great acting, cinematography, a very touching love story, and a brilliantly plotted mystery investigated in procedural style. It has many surprises and gripping suspense. It is well-told with all sorts of twists and turns that will keep you guessing right up until the end.
Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) a court investigator, now retired, is writing a novel about a case of rape-murder that haunted him for many years. The movie is told in a series of flashbacks, and at times the scenes are gauzy as if recreated from lost memories.
A young recently married woman was brutally assaulted and killed. The murder devastated her young husband and turned his whole life into a quest for justice. Benjamin worked for a beautiful judge Irene (Soledad Villamil). He loved her very deeply, but he could not express his love to her.
It takes place in Argentina, and is in Spanish with English subtitles. Justice in Argentina at that time was hit or miss, often with corruption involved, and a system in which prosecutors could often rig cases and get back at their rivals by reversing verdicts. In this story a turf battle turns deadly for Benjamin.
It’s a very powerful, intense, moving story, very novelistic, with many twists and turns in the investigation. Benjamin’s assistant is an absent-minded drunk named Pablo (in a brilliant performance by Guillermo Francella), and their scenes together are often very comic and rich in character development. At one crucial moment the boozy Pablo gets an inspiration; everyone has a passion, his is drinking, but he discovers through letters that he and Benjamin have stolen, what the killer’s passion is.
The scenes between Irene and Benjamin are heartbreaking because we know how much they love each other. The way she gets the killer to confess is a masterful scene in the movie.
If your passion is for richly told, creatively photographed, impeccably acted, and inspired moviemaking, then this is the film for you.
Rating: 5 / 5