Customer Reviews

The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos)

5 star:		(62)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

So it was a unbearable 107 degree temperature day outside and my friend and I decided to stay in and watch this movie.

It was by far so unexpected and done so well I had to come in here and say my 2 cents. It literally had me on the edge of my seat nearly the entire movie. Their is some nudity and brief flashes of violence but the majority of the plot is done with the characters and the unrequinted love that is tangible between Benjamin and Irene. This is a mystery that is solved methodically and it is well worth the time to sit and get involved in a "subtitled" movie.

It has been a long time since I have seen a Foreign Film or any for that matter that had the suspense this movie had.

Respectfully Reviewed

Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darín), a retired detective in Buenos Aires, is haunted by a shocking murder case he worked on twenty-five years ago. He decides to write a novel about it and returns to his old office to enlist the help of his former partner, a perpetually drunk but true-blue friend (Guillermo Francella), and his boss (Irene Menéndez Hastings), a beautiful woman he has secretly loved all this time.

This outstanding film won an Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. The script is extremely clever, mixing equally-compelling stories of crime and love. There are frequent flashbacks so we feel we really become involved in the case and know and care about the three main characters. The grizzly crime is thankfully seen only for a few fleeting moments but its horror keeps the story exciting and moving at a fast pace. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.

The actors are all outstanding, so good I never felt they were acting. The entire film is riveting, the dialogue is realistic, and there is a great "what would you do?" ending. Heartily recommended for those who enjoy crime stories with twists and turns and occasional comic bits plus a bittersweet, unrequited love story.

A retired detective decides to revisit an unsettling case from early in his career. It turns out not only was the case unresolved, its impact left his life unresolved, and working through the case allows him to reconsider his own past. An intriguing theme explored in the film is that the quiet devastation brought into a life through fear of change and commitment can compare to that inflicted through loss.

As a young detective, Benjamin is assigned to the case of a woman who was brutally raped and murdered. When the authorities want to pin the case on easy targets, he persists, enlisting the help of his alcoholic assistant and his reluctant but beautiful boss, Irene. When they think the case is resolved, an unexpected turn of events changes everything for them, and many years later Benjamin once again turns to Irene to reconsider the case and to put his own life back together.

It's an unlikely combination of crime story and love story, with a touch of political thriller. Mostly, it works. The actual detective work is a bit old school - where a bit of investigation and a couple coincidences combine with intuition that is invariably on track, and where a bit of psychological manipulation invariably gets a guy to crack and spill the beans. Still, as old school thrillers go, this one feels fresh and unique, and the hints of Argentina's political past give this a unique edge. There are elements of brutality, and the language is strong. It's filmed well, though occasionally the director employs unique or intense shots (fast moving crane shots or vertiginous orbits of the character) that seemed to be merely showpieces - without clear justification in the dramatic demands of the scene. Not as intense, say, as Tell No One, or as artsy as The Aura (also starring Ricardo Darin), it's much funnier at times and the emotional payoff is more direct.

This film has a slow start, but hang in there, it is worth it. About halfway through, events start unfolding. This movie brought out every emotion I think I have, and some I didn't even know I have. I was lucky in that no one spoiled the ending by telling me beforehand, so I confess I was very surprised at the ending, always a plus. All in all, this film makes me grateful to live in the United States, where the justice system is not perfect, but better than most. And the characters are compelling; you get sucked into these people's lives and you feel their powerlessness and you understand and agree with their decisions about how to deal with it all. I found myself asking, "What would I do if I were faced with this?" I highly recommend The Secret in Their Eyes, it is a fresh and original screenplay that works on every level as a film. I believe I will be thinking about The Secret in Their Eyes for a long time to come....it is that good. I believe it is worth watching a second and even a third time, so I'm glad I bought it instead of renting it.
Jeani Rector, Editor
The Horror Zine

Engrossing, suspenseful and a film from Argentina that exemplifies wonderful cinema, "The Secret in Their Eyes" is absolutely fantastic!

The Academy Award winner of "Best Foreign Film" of 2009, the film "El secreto de sus ojos" (The Secret in Their Eyes" is a film that I can't emphasize enough..."must be seen!".

Directed by Juan Jose Campanella ("Son of the Bride", "Avelleneda's Moon"), the award winning film is an adaptation of Eduardo Sacheri's novel "La pregunta de sus ojos" and is Argentina's second biggest office success since the 1975 Leonardo Favio classic "Nazareno Cruz y el lobo" (Nazareno Cruz and the Wolf).


VIDEO:

"The Secret In Their Eyes" is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:35:1). The film is shot digitally and there is good emphasis on lighting and also how scenes were captured. Cinematography by Felix Monti does an excellent job in capturing a variety of scenes, especially in one scene which required a large crowd during a soccer match.

The film does display a lot of vibrant red and amber colors (due to the lighting) or characters wearing red but for the most part, the lighting is well-done. A lot of detail is captured on the walls, texture on the photo books, twill clothing, cigarette smoke flowing through the air to the wrinkles on the skin (love what they did in transforming the characters for 1974 and 1999). Skin tones are natural and blacks are nice and deep. I did notice occasional banding but nothing too disruptive.

But overall, picture quality is very good.

AUDIO & SUBTITLES:

"The Secret in Their Eyes" is presented in Spanish and French 5.1 DTS-HD MA. Dialogue is crisp and clear and there are times throughout the film where surround channels are being used such as gun shots or a train going through the tracks, crowd ambiance, cell phone ringing, etc. But for the most part, the film is driven by its dialogue and music.

The music by Federico Jusid and Emilio Kauderer is well done, especially during the more emotional scenes and the score is quite powerful.

But "The Secret in Their Eyes" is not one of those films where you can expect immersive sound. But for a film that focuses on romance, drama, mystery and suspense, the lossless audio is appropriate for this type of film.

Subtitles are presented in English, English SDH and French.

SPECIAL FEATURES

"The Secret In Their Eyes" comes with the following special features presented in standard definition, Spanish Stereo and English subtitles:

* Commentary with Director Juan Jose Campanella - A very detailed audio commentary as director Juan Jose Campanella breaks down the film and its love story as well as the detective story. Campanella breaks down each scene and explains to the viewer a background of what he wanted to accomplish with each scene. A very intelligent and well-done audio commentary from the filmmaker.
* Behind the Scenes of The Secret in Their Eyes - (4:12) A short featurette on the making of "The Secret In Their Eyes". Featuring crew and staff talking about working with each other and
* Casting The Secret in Their Eyes - (10:38) Featuring audition footage of various talent for the film.

JUDGMENT CALL:

When "The Secret in Their Eyes" won the Academy Award for "Best Foreign Language" film, before I watched the film, I was stunned. Could there be anything better than Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon", Scandar Copti and Yaron Shani's "Ajami" or even the film which I felt was the true contender Jacques Audiard "Un prophete"? Granted, I have not watched "The Secret in Their Eyes" and having watched the nominated films, these films were outstanding but there must be something about this film by Juan Jose Campanella that stood out.

So, I watched this film with the highest of expectations and by the final credits, I realized that "The Secret in Their Eyes" is not only deserving for its multiple-award winning accolades but for any fan of cinema, these are the type of films in which the cineaste yearns for, movie making at its best. And not to downplay the other films which were nominated because I enjoyed those films very much but "The Secret in Their Eyes" is one of those films that stays with you and you can't help but feel that this is wonderful cinema, wonderful movie making devoid of banality and ennui. "The Secret in Their Eyes" is wonderful!

Juan Jose Campanella did a fantastic job in being the man guiding force of the film. Many Americans may be aware of his work through TV series such as "House M.D." and "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" but before these TV series, he's had success with films such as "Son of the Bride" and "Avellaneda's Moon". Campanella is a filmmaker who has a perfect grasp on suspense but also relationships.

"The Secret in Their Eyes" is a two stories in one. Two people who were attracted to one another 25-years in the past, separated by tragedy and then being reunited once again many years later. But then we have the mystery, the murder case that has consumed the main character Benjamin, as well as the victim's husband Ricardo. The corruption within the judicial system and no matter how Benjamin works hard to find the killer of this murder case back in 1974, the system works against him. But it's that careful pacing, where you feel easy at times and then Campanella's knows when to make the viewer feel uneasy and that something is not right. And this leads to a chilling discovery by the main character that was not only shocking but a realization that many of us were not prepared for and it works with tremendous efficacy.

The performances by Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Pablo Rago, Guillermo Francella were fantastic. Every scene was well-done and most of all well-captured by cinematographer Felix Monti. Not only do you have a well-written story but capable actors to make us believe. And a wonderful job goes to the makeup department that did a fantastic job in making the talent realistic for 1974 and 1999. I thought this was well-done.

As for the Blu-ray release, picture quality and audio quality were well-done. PQ has a bit of banding but other than that, it is a solid Sony Pictures Classics release. If anything prevents near perfection of this Blu-ray release is the special features. Aside from the wonderful audio commentary by Campanella, the special features were just two short featurettes and I was hoping for more. Especially on the transforming of the characters for the two time periods.

Overall, "The Secret In Their Eyes" is a film that is most deserving of its Oscar and multiple awards. This film is engrossing, suspenseful and truly amazing in every way.

Highly recommended!

This is one of the classiest films I've seen in a long time, and apparently others thought so, too. It was highly nuanced and the characters were well-drawn. These factors made it impossible to divert my attention away from the story for even a minute. The element of suspense was present throughout the film, not only in terms of the unsolved mystery being looked into, but in terms of the relationship between two of the main characters. I teach Spanish and take a group of college students to Argentina every summer, and this film has become part of the curriculum. Students enjoy it very much because it's a departure from their usual fare of special effects, violence, bad language, and predictable characters.