Product Details

• Actors: Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil
• Directors: Juan José Campanella
• Writers: Juan José Campanella, Eduardo Sacheri
• Producers: Juan José Campanella, Mariela Besuievski, Carolina Urbieta
• Format: AC-3, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
• Language: Spanish
• Subtitles: English, French
• Dubbed: French
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 2.35:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: R (Restricted)
• Studio: Sony Pictures Classics
• DVD Release Date: September 21, 2010
• Run Time: 129 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (113 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0036TGSJE
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,211 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
  • #78 in Movies & TV > DVD > Foreign Films
• Learn more about "The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos), an Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film, is part cold-case mystery, part long-lost love story, and part thriller set both in the present and in 1970s Argentina, under the tight control of its infamous military dictatorship. Director Juan José Campanella manages to tread easily across these genres with a story that's gripping, a little outlandish, and compelling--if full of a growing sense of dread. The Secret in Their Eyes stars Ricardo Darín as Benjamin, a policeman who gets pulled into investigating a decades-old crime, and becomes drawn in, almost against his will, as layers of information about the missing (murdered?) girl slowly come to light. As Benjamin investigates, he runs into a woman for whom he has long carried a torch, Irene (Soledad Villamil), an ambitious judge who had also at one point been involved in adjudicating the old crime. The chemistry between Benjamin and Irene is part of the "secret in their eyes," as the pull between the old colleagues becomes palpable. But also palpable is the hold that this unsolved crime has over Benjamin--a creepy borderline obsession that is reminiscent of the American film noir classic Laura. Fancy cinematography and well-crafted flashbacks to the era of the crime--set against the backdrop of the military dictatorship--add extra depth to what is a truly original story, told in layers with great intelligence. Fans of great mysteries and dramas--and of lost love that may again be found--will not want to miss The Secret in Their Eyes. --A.T. Hurley

Product Description

Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin (Ricardo Darin), decides to write a novel based on a twenty-five year old unresolved rape and murder case, which still haunts him. Sharing his plans with Irene (Soledad Villamil), the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years, Benjamin’s initial involvement with the case is shown through flashbacks, as he sets out to identify the murderer. But Benjamin’s search for the truth will put him at the center of a judicial nightmare, as the mystery of the heinous crime continues to unfold in the present, testing the limits of a man seeking justice and personal fulfillment at last.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 83 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Revenge is a Dish that is served Cold. March 10, 2010

By Maximiliano F Yofre

Format:DVD

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.

48 of 50 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Secret in Their Eyes is one of the best named movies and is a fantastic thriller mixed with romance May 13, 2010

By Haunted Flower

Format:Blu-ray

"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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Silence of the lambs August 1, 2010

By Theodoros Natsinas

Format:DVD

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.