The Secret In Their Eyes Movie Recommendation. Shelby and Nicolas brought this one to our attention. So I say we do three cheers for them both. The Secret in Their Eyes is an Argentinian film. Not just any Argentinian film – but the single largest grossing (domestic and international) film that Argentina has ever produced. The budget for the film was a paltry $2 million by U.S. standards, but you wouldn’t know it by the high level production on display here. It also won 13 Condors (Argentine Oscars of sorts) as well as winning the Best Foreign Language Film Academy Award. Oh, and a Goya, and Bafta, for Best Foreign language film. All that to say, this film was a huge success internationally.
And you have never heard of it.
The story is simple enough in that it tells of a cop who spends his whole life chasing down a murderer. The case seemed easy enough. Through good detective work, and research, they are able to ascertain the murderer, but then everything goes wrong. For the murdered wife’s husband. For the cop who was on the brink of solving the case. For everyone really.
Here’s a warning though. I know most Americans by default do not like foreign films because the company that created it was so insensitive as to make the film in some sort of incomprehensible gibberish. (Americans, if you didn’t know it, already don’t like reading their movies.) So, yes, note to all Americans stumbling across this recommendation. The film is an Argentinian film. Which, uh, means…unfortunately, the film isn’t in English. Worse? This script might as well be an Aaron Sorkin screenplay they go so quickly. So yeah, you might want to do eyeball stretches, and eyeball pushups before you start in on this film. OK? But it’s totally worth it. Trust me on this one – no, trust Shelby and Nicolas actually. Because they are the ones that brought it to our attention.
Do not go any further if you haven’t seen this movie. Not sure what this movie is like – maybe Shimmer Lake, or possibly The Party? If you are interested in watching it – Prime, Vudu, Play, and iTunes are your go-to’s for this one.
Quick Secret In Their Eyes Movie Walkthrough
I don’t think there will be many that won’t grok the details of this movie. Basically, Benjamín Esposito, a young detective (played by Ricardo Darín), is given a case wherein Ricardo Morales’ (played by Pablo Rago) wife is brutally murdered. The detective, after a few bad leads, notices in all the photos, one of their friends is always staring at Morales’ wife. And just like that, Esposito has his guy. It’s an incredible detective leap, but it works out – because they realize that their suspect has fled the coop. After a bit of detective work, they are able to bring the guy in, but because of politics, and a grudge from one of the other detectives, their suspect is released.
Esposito and Morales then spend the rest of their lives hunting down the suspect, Isidoro Gómez (played by Javier Godino), to no avail. All the while Esposito and Irene Menéndez Hastings, play a game of emotional cat and mouse. But the big story is when Esposito – who’s writing a book about the murder and the aftermath – finally tracks Morales down, and tells him that he won’t stop looking for his wife’s murderer. “Oh, but you should just stop – because I found him and killed him” says Morales. Ah. OK. But Morales and Esposito had a very distinct conversation about how it would be too good of a punishment for Gómez to just murder him. So Esposito is more than a little bit confused. But OK. Guess I’ll go now. Hah, but those keen detective instincts kick in, and he remembers Pablo Sandóval once told him: “No one can change their passion.” Now he is sure something is going on – and he heads back to the house, but around the back way this time.
That is when Esposito realizes that Morales (come on – it’s staring you right in the face…his name is Morales?!?) has held Gómez captive in his home, behind bars, for years. And all the while, he hasn’t said a word to him for almost 25 years. Not one. And what does Isidoro say to Esposito? “You promised me a life sentence.” With that, Esposito leaves him to it… and he heads back to the woman he’s been waiting most of his life to pledge his love to. Roll credits.
Phil-101 Has Nothing On This Movie
I’m so glad you guys brought this movie to me. I wasn’t sure what was happening, or where it was going. Are there aliens in here somewhere? Is the detective the murderer? Because you guys only bring me the craziest of crazy movies. And, for that, I am eternally grateful. But yeah! I wasn’t sure. And then I realized that this horrific murderer has been trapped in this box for 25 years. Has he been tortured? Well, yes! Even if he hasn’t been physically abused, solitary confinement for 25 years is the literal definition of torture. There’s no question about that.
So here is the question I’d ask my Philosophy 101 class. Laws be damned. You capture your boyfriends/girlfriends murderer…and you dedicate your life to his confinement. Morally right? Morally wrong? Is there a problem here and why if yes, why if no. Go. Come to the lectern dangit! We can’t hear you from the rafters up there…come down here and defend your position. Because it really doesn’t matter what side of this equation you are on, you are going to have to explain yourself. We’ve discussed in this class whether or not your murdering him would be OK, that’s an easy one. (Of course it isn’t, if you missed that particular class. Gah. Quit playing hookie.) This is a much bigger question because there are million ways that you spin this multifaceted question. Is it humane to the murderer? Even if you are 100% humane, you feed him, you give him access to a shower. You are diligent in your confinement of this individual, providing every material thing he needs. Water, Food, Medicine. You are so intentional about extending this man’s life, solely to not let him take the easy way out. But, in so doing, you have carried your dead wife around with you in that jail cell home of yours. You have been chained to the memory of her murder for all these years.
I will say this, it appears to be the single sweetest thing you could do for your dead loved one. It seems like it is the best way to honor them, and the love that you had together. And yet, it isn’t. Choosing to abandon your life in the hopes of doling out a perfect punishment gives your spouse’s murderer way way more power over you than you should let him have. And actually, if you think about it…it wouldn’t be that hard for him to get all up inside that fragile head of yours. “She was lovely wasn’t she?” “Oh, what was that perfume she liked wearing?” “I’m sure you’d like to know the last thing she said on this earth.” For 25 years? It would be so easy for him to just gut you like a fish without even really trying. And wait a second here, who are we punishing again? I forget. Is it the murderer, or is it the husband we are going after here? Because it sure looks like we are trying to destroy an innocent man’s life here.
For an individual who has lost their spouse to rape and a terrifyingly brutal murder – it seems obvious this would be the way to go. I mean, our man just sat in the train stations every day of the week, while he watched to find him coming home from work. This is a tormented individual. So yeah, it’s really, really clear that Morales has been mortally wounded by Gómez. Not the other way around. Yes, the movie paints Gómez as a desperate man. But whatever. I don’t care much about him. I mainly care about Morales’ choice to spend his life this way. No? What else is there to talk about but Morales’ terrible life choice here? Anything? hahaha.
I enjoyed this movie. Took me a while to grok what it was putting down. But once I figured it out, I was like, oh no! What did you guys think of it?
Edited by: CY
