aka El Secreto de Sus Ojos

Director: Juan José Campanella
Writers: Juan José Campanella and Eduardo Sacheri (novel)
Rated: R (language, violence, nudity, rape scene)
Cast:  Soledad Villamil, Ricardo Darín, Pablo Rago, Guillermo Francella, and Javier Godino

The Secret in Their EyesRetired federal justice agent Benjamín Esposito (Darín) is writing a novel on the one big case of his career that was never completely solved. When he returns to his old stomping grounds he finds himself bringing up old feelings about his former colleague Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil) in addition to new questions about the big case.

The Secret in their eyes is based on the novel written by Eduardo Sacheri. The film jumps back and forth between the present and some 20 years prior. It should be pointed out that the actors play their 20 years younger selves as well, and pull it off quite convincingly. Soledad Villamil is an especially gorgeous woman who looks to have barely aged.

As we see the grusome details of the rape-murder committed those many years ago, the facts behind the case slowly start to come together. But the viewer would be mistaken to jump to any conclusion so soon, as this film is filled with plenty of shocks and twists, especially at the end.

What we have here is a gorgeously shot, brilliantly acted, and gripping crime thriller that really gets the viewer involved. Ricardo Darín shows one of the best performances of a male role I’ve seen in some time, which is reciprocated by Villamil.

This movie had my heart racing, kept me guessing, and even laughing during a few comic relief segments. As our main characters learn more about the old case, in addition to themselves, they must face many hard personal decisions, as well as danger.

I can’t say enough great things about this film. It’s a crime thriller done the way they should be done. This film was as equally compelling as The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which prior to viewing this Argentinian gem was one of the best films I’ve seen in the past couple years. This film was without a doubt deserving of the Academy Award for best foreign language picture and is another reason why lately I’m starting to prefer mystery thrillers as my genre of choice. Perfect Rating
IMDb/trailer | Official site

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