Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

The Secret in Their Eyes

The Secret in Their Eyes

The Secret in Their Eyes

The winner of this year’s Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, The Secret in Their Eyes (from Argentina) is exactly the kind of classy, respectable movie that the Academy loves. That means it’s a bit sluggish and not as inventive as fellow nominees The White Ribbon and A Prophet, but also that it’s expertly crafted and sometimes moving, with affecting performances by leads Ricardo Darin and Soledad Villamil.

The Details

The Secret in Their Eyes
Three stars
Ricardo Darin, Soledad Villamil, Guillermo Francella.
Directed by Juan Jose Campanella.
Rated R. Opens Friday.
Beyond the Weekly
Official Movie Site
IMDB: The Secret in Their Eyes
Rotten Tomatoes: The Secret in Their Eyes

Darin plays Benjamin Esposito, an investigator for the prosecutor’s office in Buenos Aires, who in 1974 became consumed by the case of a young schoolteacher raped and murdered in her home. Twenty-five years later, after retiring following a successful career, Benjamin decides to revisit the case that still haunts him, in order to write a novel about it. He enlists the help of his former boss and unrequited love Irene Menendez-Hastings (Villamil) to root out some long-buried answers.

Much of the movie consists of flashbacks to the original case, which unfolds mostly as a leisurely police procedural before developing some fairly absurd twists toward the end. Director and co-writer Juan Jose Campanella has worked on a number of American TV shows (including various Law & Orders), and he brings a workmanlike sense to the investigation, although Secret has more visual style than a network drama.

The real draw is the chemistry between Darin and Villamil, who convey the longing of complex and semi-forbidden love across decades. Their aching glances and thwarted efforts to connect will hold your attention more than the sometimes overheated crime story.

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