The Secret in Their Eyes
El secreto de sus ojos
Academy Award-nominated director Juan José Campanella returns to filmmaking with his first feature since 2004, having spent the last few years directing episodes for such acclaimed television series as Law & Order, 30 Rock and House. Set in his native Argentina, The Secret in Their Eyes is a suspenseful crime drama with a love story at its core.
Newly retired from his career in Argentina's criminal court, Benjamín Espósito (Ricardo Darín) begins writing a novel about a unsettled case from his past that continues to haunt him. In 1974, a beautiful young newlywed was raped and murdered and Espósito was sent to investigate the horrifying crime.
Tracking down the suspect becomes a personal obsession that draws Espósito and his colleague, the brilliant but unreliable alcoholic Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella), into ever-riskier situations. The case also intensifies Espósito's relationship to his young boss, Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil), a striking, Ivy League-educated woman whom he secretly, hopelessly adores. Despite their dedication, however, inept officials and politics both internal and external to the court threaten to let justice slip away.
Espósito's story unfolds with gripping tension as the film shifts smoothly between time periods. Searching for an ending to his book, the older would-be writer makes a startling discovery that compels him to redeem his past and seize his future.
CRITICAL NOTES
"Campanella's tightly paced feature pairs smart dialogue with powerful, moving performances... Beneath all the action is a reflection on justice and the meaning of a life sentence. Pain endures but so, too, does love."
- Diana Sanchez, TIFF.
"A deeply rewarding throwback to the unself-conscious days when cinema still strove to be magical."
- Jonathan Holland, Variety.
FILM INFORMATION
Director: Juan José Campanella
Cast: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Javier Godino
Year: 2009
Runtime: 127 minutes
Country: Argentina, Spain
Language: Spanish
Distributor: Mongrel Media
Ratings:
ON NR /
BC NR /
AB NR /
SK NR /
MB NR /
QC NR /
Maritmes NR
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