Tuesday, August 31, 2010

“La Mirada Invisible”

On Friday, I had my first thoroughly Argentine movie-viewing experience, in that I saw an Argentine film in an Argentine theater (the previously mentioned hella-swank one). I understood 98% of what was said, as there was relatively little dialog and they spoke in a very formal manner, so I feel qualified to review this for real!

The trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3zMDrwHFAY

The film takes place in Buenos Aires in 1982. It might be best described as a character study, focusing on 23-year-old Marita, a teacher at a prestigious school. She is a tragic character – confused, lost, very repressed and insecure. This is a film about contained, silent suffering. Historical metaphor!!

My thoughts, in brief:

Excellent acting. Interesting cinematography. A bit slow-moving. Hard to watch at times – a couple of truly horrifying, yet powerful, moments. Possibly unappealing for Argentines who are ready to stop talking about la dictadura militar already, but interesting for foreigners such as myself who have only just started learning about this country’s history.

This film went to Cannes, so it is probably en route to the U.S. as well! The English language title is “The Invisible Eye.” I recommend seeing it when you have the opportunity to go chill out at McDonald’s afterward – but not as a fun intro to your next Argentine vacation.

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