The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)
by Juan José Campanella
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DVD details
Actor: Ricardo Darín, Soledad VillamilDirector: Juan José Campanella
Brand: Columbia
Producer: Juan José Campanella
Writer: Juan José Campanella
Producer: Mariela Besuievski
Producer: Carolina Urbieta
Writer: Eduardo Sacheri
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language); French (Dubbed)
Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen, 2.35:1
Running Time: 129 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2010-09-21
Audience Rating: R (Restricted)
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
DVD Reviews of The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)
DVD Review: This Argentinian Detective Does Cry - for the Victim
Summary: 4 Stars
This is about an individually motivated murder in Argentina, not about any of the mass political murders that took place there. It's about the brutal slaying of a young wife whose snatched life haunts one police detective even after he has retired from the force. However, general political conditions in Argentina do play a role in the proceedings when the likely perpetrator of the crime is released in order to become a government informer. This provides a commentary on how individual life was deemed less important than mass movement during those times.
The lead character stays on the trail of the suspect though, hating to see him get off so easily. The story is told in flashbacks. During the initial investigation, our hero uses an unusual observational technique to zero in on the likely suspect. He closely examines the victim's family photos, noticing who is standing next to whom, who is looking at whom. This technique has come to be called "photo-analysis," and we unfortunately don't often see TV and movie detectives taking full advantage of it, although "The Mentalist" has demonstrated its potential in a few episodes.
Another technique shown being used by detectives in this film is interrogation-by-taunting. This technique is more of a staple of crime dramas. In an attempt to elicit an incriminating rebuttal, a detective will impugn a suspect's manhood or imply he simply didn't have the strength to commit the crime. In this case, the routine taunting elicits such a graphic, shocking response though, that the scene almost earned this entire movie a squelching "R" rating. The producers/directors had to plead their case with the review boards to allow the scene to stay in without affecting the film's general rating. They won their case - but viewers should be prepared.
As much as being a crime story, this is a love story - a story of lingering, "Remains of the Day" love that goes too long undeclared. This elevates the movie above the slapdash territory of many CSI-like productions. However, there was a false note introduced with the handling of this subplot. When the lead detective and the young assistant who will become the object of his affections are shown meeting for the first time in flashback, everyone declares that he is way "too old" for her. However aside from being given a few gray hairs, he is made to appear very much her same age. Then when we advance into the present, the make-up department gives him a few more wrinkles (although he remains very matinee idol handsome), while the woman remains exactly the same. This on-going mismatch of stated age ratios is a bit unconvincing and distracting.
The perennial drunkenness of the lead detective's partner also seems to over-accessorize the plot a bit and to detract from the main story-line. The character's lurching appearances often look tacked on merely for the purpose of adding unnecessary comic relief and of showcasing the comedic talents of famed Argentinian actor Guillermo Francella.
What's more, some of the dialogue goes by pretty rapidly, so you also have to stay agile reading subtitles if you don't speak Spanish.
But "Secret" has an unexpected ending that is oh so logical, and yet not the sort of resolution I'd seen to any other cold case drama. Overall, "The Secret in Their Eyes" warrants close watching.
Description of The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)
Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin (Ricardo Darin), decides to write a novel based on a twenty-five year old unresolved rape and murder case, which still haunts him. Sharing his plans with Irene (Soledad Villamil), the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years, Benjamin?s initial involvement with the case is shown through flashbacks, as he sets out to identify the murderer. But Benjamin?s search for the truth will put him at the center of a judicial nightmare, as the mystery of the heinous crime continues to unfold in the present, testing the limits of a man seeking justice and personal fulfillment at last.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
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