At last month’s Academy Awards, Argentina’s The Secret In Their Eyes pulled off a surprise victory to claim the Best Foreign Language Film trophy. Critics applauded, but most viewers had never even heard of the film. Well, audiences can rest easy, as it finally hits American theaters this month and proves exactly why it deserved its honor. Alternating between 1974 and 1999, the film follows detective Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) as he attempts to find the man who raped and murdered a young Buenos Aires woman. He also harbors a not-so-secret love for his Harvard-educated colleague (Soledad Villamil) and has to keep watch over his loose cannon partner, whose alcoholism threatens to negate his undeniable investigative skills. Director Campanella, a veteran of House and Law & Order, effortlessly weaves romance, comedy and politics into what would otherwise be a fairly standard murder mystery. He builds anticipation gradually before delivering a bang, like an unbelievable one-take chase scene through a packed soccer stadium. Every cast member holds his own against Argentine superstar Darin, but Villamil matches him blow for blow. Their charged interactions, between two people obviously meant for one another but divided by circumstances, give the film its pulse, and their scenes together are easily the best on display. It may have taken a while, but The Secret In Their Eyes has arrived at last, and it will keep you enthralled, if not necessarily guessing, until the end.
4 Stars Directed by: Juan Jose Campanella Starring: Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Guillermo Francella Rated R, 127 min.
