Directed by:
Pablo TraperoCinematography:
Julián ApezteguiaComposer:
Sebastián EscofetCast:
Guillermo Francella, Peter Lanzani, Lili Popovich, Gastón Cocchiarale, Giselle Motta, Franco Masini, Antonia Bengoechea, Stefanía Koessl, Aníbal Barengo (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
Argentina in the early eighties. Within a typical family home in the traditional neighborhood of San Isidro, a sinister clan makes its living off kidnapping and murder. Arquímedes, the patriarch, heads and plans the operations. Alejandro, his eldest son, is a star rugby player at CASI a prestigious local club and the Argentine mythical national team (Los Pumas). The son gives in to his father's will and identifies possible candidates for kidnapping; his popularity shields him from suspicion. To a greater or lesser extent, the members of the family are accomplices in this dreadful venture as they live off the benefits yielded by the large ransoms paid by the families of their victims. Based on the true story of the Puccio family, this film full of suspense and intrigue takes place in the context of the final years of the Argentine military dictatorship and incipient return to democracy. (Artificial Eye)
(more)Reviews (2)
A normal Argentine family. At first glance, this may just seem like another "wannabe Scorsese movie" from someone who has seen it in Mafia or Casino and would also really like to be so stylish and formally playful in terms of access to the genre. However, it will soon become clear that this is not a forced replacement or a copycat, but a regular (however straightforward) Scorsese movie in the best sense of the word.
()
To be honest, it never really managed to draw me into the plot. Apparently I need a sympathetic character to enjoy the movie with, and yet somehow there aren't many sympathetic characters here. Maybe the curly-haired son could be considered sort of a likeable character, but I still couldn't find a way in. And since the film just swaps out scenes that don't really move me, it's still just boring even when something disturbing is going on. The film certainly has a story to tell, and it doesn't tell it badly, but it just doesn't impress. I thought I'd go a little lower with my rating, but the ending was so brilliant that the film finally woke me up and left some impact. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in kidnappings in Venezuela during the 80's or feels they have to see something from Argentina.
()