The Secret in Their Eyes (2010)

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.

"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.

Buy The Secret in Their Eyes (2010) Now

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.

Read Best Reviews of The Secret in Their Eyes (2010) Here

When I saw this film on a recommendation of a friend I did not remember that this film was the academy award winner for the foreign language category. It was a pleasant surprise. The film is part murder mystery part romance. The two lead actors are phenominal here as good acting is when the actor disappears and one believes they are the embodyment of the characters they are playing. This is one of those films. The film grabs one at the begining. It is said detectives can be desensitized to the vilence of it all however this detective is surprised and shocked at the brutality at the crime scene and he becomes obsessed. Then he meets the husband. The husband is beyond distraught over the sudden brutal death of his beautifull bride. Believe me when I tell you one becomes as obsessed as the detective in finding the person responsible for this senseless crime. This film does a good job of drawing one in to the story and the acting is first rate. If you are a fan of good acting, good writing and low tech you will not be disappointed. I highly recommend this film.

Want The Secret in Their Eyes (2010) Discount?

This film is a cinematic masterpiece in every sense, story, dialogue, characterization, casting, performances, cinematography...a pure delight of a genius filmmaker.

There is one shot that's totally amazing whereas the camera sees a long aerial view of a soccer stadium at night, then travels over the playing field with a game in progress, then continues outside into the massive crowd into a medium shot without a single cut! That's followed by a foot chase scene in the stadium whereas the prey is going one way, camera relentlessly moving in a different direction catching up with the pursued from a different angle, ending on the playing field. Both shots are unconventional and amazing, an education!

I sing this film's praises! Not to be missed.

Save 25% Off