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Before this year’s Oscar ceremony, writer/director Michael Haneke’s The White Ribbon seemed to be a shoo-in for the award for Best Foreign Language Film. Very few people predicted that the Argentinean crime thriller The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos) would walk away with the prize—but I can only assume that’s because they hadn’t seen it yet.
After retiring from his job in the criminal court, Benjamín Esposito (Ricardo Darín) decides to write a novel. Instead of fabricating a story, though, he chooses to write about the case that’s haunted him for 25 years: the brutal rape and murder of a beautiful young woman.
It would have been easy to brush the case aside—especially after a pair of suspects were quickly taken into custody—but Esposito was moved by the victim’s husband, Ricardo (Pablo Rago), to take a closer look. The victim’s old photo albums led Esposito to Isidoro Gómez (Javier Godino)—and, despite being ordered to let it go, he continued to investigate.
Along with his clerk, Pablo (Guillermo Francella), and his new boss, Irene (Soledad Villamil), Esposito began tracking his suspect, eventually putting all three of them in danger.
The Secret in Their Eyes doesn’t exactly make for a casual movie-watching experience—and not just because of its sometimes fast-moving subtitles. It’s the kind of movie that will reel you in slowly until you’re completely engrossed in what’s happening on the screen. You won’t be able to sit back and relax; you’ll lean forward in your seat, drawn to the action, trying to put the pieces together. But—trust me on this one—you won’t succeed.
Still, the story is deceptively simple—and, at first, it may seem like just another procedural. But don’t let that fool you; this isn’t just an extended episode of some Argentinean Law & Order. Like Esposito, you’ll need to look more closely. Study the eyes. Pay attention to what’s said—and what’s suggested. Then you’ll realize that there’s more to The Secret than a simple murder mystery. It’s a story about love and passion—about justice and politics.
There are so many subtleties, in fact, that you’re sure to miss quite a bit in the first viewing. And I can pretty much guarantee that you’ll be so wrapped up in the story that you won’t see the conclusion coming. It’s sure to leave you stunned and speechless—and eager to go back and watch this deserving Oscar winner again.
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