Customer Reviews

Night Watch

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Edgardo Cozarinsky is one of Argentina's most respected film makers and this elegiac nocturnal mood piece 'Ronda nocturna' is a stunning little foray into exploring the people who work by night in a big city, that big city could be anywhere in the world. This is not a film for those who need a storyline or those who aren't willing to go with the flow of the mind of the director in mixing the real with the imagined. But for this viewer this is a mesmerizing theme and variations that magnetically draws us into one evening on the calles de Buenos Aires.

Victor (the fine twenty-three year old actor Gonzalo Heredia) is a hustler and works the streets from dusk until dawn, plying his various wares (drugs, his body, his camaraderie) on one particular November evening. He is 'protected' by a police Inspector (Gregory Dayton) in return for physical favors, shares turf with Carlitos (Diego Trerotola) who spends time in clubs with him and takes him to the 'better venues' of his trade including an ambassador's party where Viktor steals money, catches up on old times with a hustler turned taxi driver Mario (Rafael Ferro) with whom cruises the streets in the taxi talking with transvestites and hookers in a series of warm exchanges and whom he beds and has a threatened experience, narrowly escapes death at the push of a strange woman, befriends a street florist, revives an old girlfriend acquaintance....many things happen and nothing really happens. There is no story here except what happens to a pretty kid on the streets; no preaching, no climaxes, no major dramatic turns are developed and we leave Viktor as dawn rises over the city and his working time is over.

The cinematography by Javier Miquelez is brilliant as is the subtle tango-influenced musical score by Carlos Franzetti. Gonzalo Heredia carries this film with sophisticated acting skills and despite the fact that we are never sure just how much of what we are seeing is real, imagined, drug induced, or remembered, we still care deeply for this quiet little charmer of a lad. His moments with the street florist are the stuff of film magic. Edgardo Cozarinsky knows his craft and seeing 'Night Watch' makes us want to explore all of his films. Highly recommended for lovers of art films. Grady Harp, June 06

...this film was still very poignant. There is no action crescendo, no high drama with a nice and neat ending. However, I found the movie to be very interesting and entertaining in it's own simplistic way.

The protagonist is very likable and does a great job in this role. Although there is no action and the storyline is somewhat linear I found that the protagonist had a lot of depth and his good nature pulled the film along.

There are instances when the movie takes a turn towards the surreal and the audience is left to ponder whether these are visions of an overactive imagination or perhaps small glimpses into the past or future.

Although this movie will most probably not appeal to the mainstream it is an interesting view of what life might be like on the streets of Argentina.

A beautiful film detailing the seamy side of Buenos Aires nightlife, the kind that flies under the radar of most tourists. Cozarinsky is a great director; a pity there are no more of his movies on DVD. Heredia is a stunning Garcia Bernal look-alike in more ways than just his looks. I wish for a movie where they would play brothers! Some complain about no plot; in the picaresque mode, we follow the protagonist, not the story line, since he provides it. The best accolade. I rented it first, and I have just added it to my DVD collection.

an excellent film. the leaves a good impression of what life is like in
a south american big city for the young crowd.

Kafka with Latin sensibilities might be a good tag here. Not plot driven--you have to enter the rhythm. The surreal lapping seamlessly into night routine is well done. Haunting score by Carlos Franzetti.

Worthwhile.

I understand what this movie was trying to do and the genre it was approaching. But, in my opinion, it failed. A better example of the picaresque genre is Lazarillo de Tormes (novel) or Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (novel or film).

The film failed to establish a plot, a relatable or sympathetic hero. There really was no plot in this movie. It is merely a collection of snapshots of the streets in Argentina. A lot could have been done with this movie and there were plots that could have been investigated but, we get nothing. Even understanding all the political references in the film and getting the theme of the movie, I found myself willing the movie to end. I even fast forwarded a few times. There is just no plot, not not even an undeveloped one.

I don't think a general audience would like this movie, in my opinion. A better audience for this film would be those interested in the picaresque genre.

Night Watch is an Argentinian film done in it's entirety at Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. The movie traces one night in the life of Victor, a high roller hustler, played by the handsome Gonzalo Heredia.

Victor seems to relate with a lot of the folks whom seem to be awake throughout the night as well as those who live on the streets, or selling merchandise to make a few bucks. He plays soccer with kids whose families are homeless. He helps families pick up plastics and cardboard to be sold later. He relates to these people as he considers himself like one of them. His friends are other neighborhood hustlers who congregate in the corners to score tricks. He shares food with one of them.

The plot becomes confusing as he thinks he has witnessed someone being murdered, and then there are attempts to his life. There is the friend from his past, who now drives a cab, comes and visits him. They eat together, go cruising, then go to a hotel to relax, have sex, and then they show him trying to smother Victor with a pillow, dream or reality?

And finally there is the girl, again from his past, who claims that she aborted his baby, and almost died. Again this is confusing to the movie plot.

Victor seems to be happy and sad at the same time. Obviously is surrounded by people, but he is all alone because of his life style. He is polite and gentle to those around him, not bitter or angry. I can not tell whether he is homeless because the movie ends not showing him in an apartment or hotel room. They show him throughout the night in coffee shops or bars falling asleep.

The movie is somewhat interesting if you like social issues. There are lot of nice looking young Argentinian men, but nudity is limited, and gay issues are more secondary than to the social values being portrayed by the story. Tango music is being played throughout most of the movie making it a nice treat.

What a strange film! The movie follows Victor, a street hustler in Buenos Aires, through a night of seemingly random encounters with all sorts of characters, none of which are tied in with each other. There is no plot. At moments, the action is surreal and you are not quite sure if Victor is having a drug-induced hallucination or if it is a real person or experience he is living through. Victor just wanders the streets and random things happen. Then the movie ends as he continues walking. Nothing leads to anything or any conclusion. Very wierd.