The Eyes Have It

El Secreto de sus Ojos (The Secret in their Eyes)
Dir: Juan Jose Campanella, 2009

Tense, rich and sharp.

Set in the Argentina of the mid-70s and today, Oscar winner El Secreto de sus Ojos is a murder mystery, a romance, a character drama and a helluva good way to spend 127 minutes of your time.

Former investigator Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) writes a book based on a 25-year-old rape-murder case that still gnaws at him. He seeks closure not for the sake of justice alone, as he also reconnects with his former boss and unspoken love Irene (Soledad Villamil) to consider what might have been (and still might be). Flashbacks to the time of the case reveal the heart-wrenching love widower Ricardo (Pablo Rago) has for the timelessly beautiful, murdered Liliana (Carla Quevedo), as well as the friendship between Benjamin and his loyal assistant Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella).

This is a movie that takes its time and gives you time, to connect with the characters, to become engrossed in their dramas, to feel like their nightmare is a familiar one. Unlike most suspense/mystery/crime dramas, the plot is entirely character-driven. Yes, the crime is heinous, but you aren't bowled over by facts and forensics or afraid the killer will strike again. You care because of the way it haunts and stunts the lives of Benjamin and Ricardo. You can't let go, because they can't let go. 

At times it is breathtaking and fast-paced, like the scenes where the investigators attend a soccer game in search of their prime suspect — the opening of which made me forget for a second that I wasn't watching the Quidditch World Cup in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (minus the flying on broomsticks and the animated fireworks, of course) — and end up chasing him through a packed stadium.  It's a nail-biter when Irene and Benjamin ride an elevator with the killer, who makes a show of loading his gun without outwardly acknowledging their presence and when Irene baits the killer during interrogation. It is also beautiful, when Benjamin imagines Ricardo and Liliana having breakfast on the morning of the murder and the whole scene is bathed in a light so loving and soft you almost want to cry.

But El Secreto de sus Ojos isn't all suspense and sadness. It has many lighter moments, full of humor and wit, usually delivered impeccably by Francella's Pablo Sandoval. A loose cannon cop with a drinking problem may be a cliche, but Sandoval finds a way to make it fresh enough that it works and even surprises at times.

I really enjoyed this movie. It isn't perfect, but it's still great. The toughest thing for me to swallow was the shoddy detective work Benjamin and co. do, the way he decides who the killer is by looking at his eyes in a few photos, then pursues him beyond the bounds of the law. The way he obtains evidence improperly and it's still admissible. Then again, who's to say that isn't a more accurate portrayal of how the justice system really works in some places, both at home and abroad, than all the things we see on Law & Order? And who's to say it needs to be an accurate portrayal of anything beyond what happens in the world of this film?

If you liked Zodiac and you're a fan of Law & Order: SVU (of which writer-director Campanella directed over a dozen episodes) you'll like El Secreto de sus Ojos. Just don't expect a whole lot of hard-nosed detecting.