An Oscar-winning or a Roger Ebert-certified movie always promises a nice time. Yes, after a busy yet boring day, I got to watch this incredible piece of storytelling The Secret in Their Eyes (El Secreto de Sus Ojos).
This Spanish-language Argentinian thriller is a must-watch for its presentation of the subtle thin line between past and present, love and fear, and passion and obsession while introducing characters driven by memories of their past.
The story goes like this: Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) after his entire life working as a criminal court lawyer comes to meet one of his former colleagues, now a judge Irene Hastings (Soledad Villamil), to tell her about his interest to write a novel recounting an old rape and murder case which they worked together 25 years ago.
The plot seems very usual, as a writer who was once a lawyer now wants to write something on a case that was in limelight then. But this is not just another case of murder mystery, as the case ends up affecting many other lives. Benjamin as the legal investigator of that case had witnessed the bruised body of a beautiful young schoolteacher called Liliana Coloto at the crime scene, which haunts him to date.
Out of shock and intent to find the culprit for that brutal murder and rape, Benjamin and his colleague and best friend Sandoval (Guillermo Francella) vehemently tried to go all out to find the man responsible for the crime. On their way to the investigation, Benjamin also meets the lady’s traumatized husband, Morales (Pablo Rago), who was so deeply in love with her wife that he used to come and sit at the railway station every day for a whole year to find out if the culprit ever tries to leave the city.
The legal investigation takes many twists and turns eventually leading to the closing of the case. However, what made this story special is how the whole case affected the life of Benjamin. He was feeling increasingly attracted to his colleague Irene, his friendship with Sandoval and the corruption that was deep-rooted in the Argentinean society and politics, together makes him a different man living with those memories for a long.
The Secret in Their Eyes is a kind of literal piece which these days are rarely produced. Written and directed by Juan Jose Campanella, here is a film that keeps you thinking about the end until the very end. You keep on thinking about many things but what you get in the end is a feeling which will stay with you for a long.
‘The Secret in Their Eyes’ Movie Trailer
Where to watch The Secret in Their Eyes (2009)
