SECRET IN THEIR EYES (2015)

November 19, 2015

secret in their eyes Greetings again from the darkness. Why, Billy Ray, why? It’s not surprising that Hollywood green-lighted the Americanization of the 2010 Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language film, El secreto de sus ojos. That original from Argentina is exemplary filmmaking and a thoroughly entertaining and compelling mystery-thriller; a must-see for any true film lover. Even if an Oscar-studded cast is hired (2 Oscar winners, 8 nominations), the guiding inspiration for a remake should be more than losing the subtitles and filming Julia Roberts without make-up.

The story balances two timelines spanning 13 years. Jess (Ms. Roberts) is an investigator who works with FBI Agent Ray (Chiwetel Ejiofor), Assistant District Attorney Claire (Nicole Kidman), and a blustering District Attorney played by Alfred Molina. When Jess’ daughter is brutally murdered, the investigation is impacted by the suspect’s role as a department snitch. When we catch up all those years later, the unrequited attraction between now former FBI Agent Ray and now DA Claire is as strong as ever; Jess’ appearance is on par with someone suffering from a terminal illness, and the murder still hovers over these characters as if it had occurred last week.

It’s a fascinating story that was handled superbly in the original, yet mostly comes across as uninspired in this latest project. At times, it’s even a bit confusing in how the two eras are handled. The score from Emilio Kauderer and a couple of fine scenes from Ms. Roberts (although she gets no credit here for appearing sans-makeup) are the best parts of this one. Otherwise, Mr. Ejiofor (usually a fine actor) goes over-the-top, while Ms. Kidman is simply miscast and unable to generate the proficiency required for her position. Other support work comes courtesy of Dean Norris (“Breaking Bad”), Michael Kelly (“House of Cards”) and Zoe Graham.

Other than lacking the grit and realism of the original, the editing and camera work (so exceptional in the first version) at times come off as amateurish this time around. The soccer/futbol sequence from the original is replaced with Dodgers baseball (Chavez Ravine and Vin Scully) and a link to former Manager Walter Alston. Normally that would be considered an improvement, but again, these fall short and fail to generate the necessary suspense. A weak impersonation of the famous long-tracking shot certainly doesn’t help.

For anyone who hasn’t seen writer/director Juan Jose Campanella’s (an Executive Producer here) excellent original, this version from Billy Ray (Shattered Glass) might prove interesting enough; however, those same folks are strongly encouraged to instead track down the original, and experience the emotional depth and filmmaking expertise that made it such a worthy Oscar winner.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson

THE SECRET IN THEIR EYES (El secreto de sus ojos, Arg., 2009)

May 30, 2010

 Greetings again from the darkness. I was a bit miffed when this film beat out both A Prophet and The White Ribbon for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 2010 Academy Awards. Since then, I have been anxious to see this “upset” winner. It is with great pleasure that I state my faith in the Academy voters is restored. This is a staggeringly wonderful film!

Based on the novel by Eduardo Sachesi, it is written and directed by Juan Jose Campanella, who also directed Argentina’s 2001 Oscar entry Son of the Bride. Mr. Campanella also has quite a resume of U.S. television in addition to his film work. What really stands out in “Secret” is the multitude of story lines and character development, none of which are cheated … yet each which could have carried their own as a film. This is terrific film-making with rare balance between comedic dialogue, a full-fledged crime drama, unrequited love and nasty politics.

The excellent script is helped along with fine acting by the key players: Ricardo Darin as Esposito, Soledad Villamil as Irene, Guillermo Francella as Sandoval, Pablo Rago as Morales, and Javier Godino as Gomez. Each actor has physical features that play well with the film’s title.

I certainly don’t wish to give away much of the substance of the film, but it mostly revolves around the investigation by Esposito and Sandoval into the brutal rape and murder of Morales’ young, beautiful wife. Esposito works for Irene and they have “eyes” for each other, and Gomez is the key suspect despite all the political maneuvering designed to throw the investigators off track.

There are a few outstanding scenes and two of my favorites were an incredibly intense elevator ride, and a fascinating crowd scene at a soccer/futbol game (including the year’s best single, long take). As you might guess, there are innumerable close-ups for a clear eye-level shot and the film bounces back and forth between 1974 and 2000, so we must adjust to the weak make-up.

For anyone who enjoys fine film-making and isn’t afraid of 2 plus hours of subtitles, you will surely be satisfied and impressed at the quality of this film.

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Posted by David Ferguson