Review of The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) by Spangle — 03 Jan 2017

An intense crime film, The Secret in Their Eyes is incredibly dark, thrilling, and smart. Often times, mystery crime films can sort of go through the motions. There is a murder and a detective sets off to find out who committed the crime. There are clues, there are red herrings, and then the predictable ending arrives. It is the equivalent of watching a crime show on CBS that is shown on Thursday nights. Yet, this Argentinian crime film is any but that sort of film. Instead, it is a smart film that creates political parallels and crafts a compelling tale of revenge, punishment, and pain. Instead of relying upon the crime, the crime merely serves as a spring board into deeper and more purposeful explorations.

Remade in 2015, I have not seen the remake, but it is clear that it is very different than this film. Starting with the brutal rape and murder of a woman, Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo), the film introduces our detective: Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin). Writing a novel about the case 25 years after it happened, Esposito is a man who has never let go of this case. After the convicted killer escaped his clutches, Esposito continues to track him while forging an never-to-be romance with his boss, Irene (Soledad Vallamil). Along the way, he interacts with Liliana's widowed husband, Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago). As the film likely indicates through the title, the eyes are very important, as well as passion. A thing a person is passionate is something they can never let go. This is a major focus of the film, with much of the story being told through the eyes. Irene and Benjamin are passionate about one another and can never let each go, no matter how much time has passed. Ricardo is passionate about Liliana and cannot let her go as he seeks revenge for his wife's brutal death. The murderer is passionate about Liliana. These passions are through the eyes with Ricardo identifying the killer because of the look in his eyes in a photo and he can tell Ricardo's passion and anger simply by looking into his eyes. Here, the film is incredibly smart and really takes to the heart the belief that the eyes are the window to the soul.

One of the best features of the film, however, is the way in which it does not focus on the crime. By the halfway point, we know the killer. Yet, the film continues to have tricks up its sleeves and keeps you guessing all the way to the end. By the time the film ends, it leaves you shocked with its subtle brutality and the horrifying nightmare experienced by its character. The story here is really in the details and require complete attention throughout to be able to follow all of the moving parts. Thus, it is a film that would certainly benefit from a rewatch in order to pick up on all of these intricacies. Using a color-palette of browns, golds, and some grays, The Secret in Their Eyes feels both warm and passionate. Campanella uses the connotations of these colors to create a haunting atmosphere that feels omnipresent in the film and never really ceases. Though brown is typically a color of comfort, he uses it in such a way that nothing ever feels comfortable. Esposito walking to a crime scene or in the house leaves you with great anxiety, even if browns are a major color in these moments. At the very least, these colors work very well together the film is incredibly appealing to the eyes. With this great blend of colors, the film captures the nostalgic and melancholy nature of the film as Esposito is filled with regret over his love life and the crime, with nostalgia for a time when he had Irene and could have had a life with her.

Acting-wise, the film is equally terrific. Darin turns in a great performance in the lead role, capturing the stolid nature of his character as well as the internal tormented soul. As the film focuses on the eyes, his eyes are great here and really reveal the true nature of his character. Pablo Rago is also great in a smaller role here as he captures the depression and passion of Morales, the widowed husband. By the end, his performance stands as being one of the more haunting roles in the film and leaves a great impression along the way.

Overall, The Secret in Their Eyes is a great film. Haunting, tragic, and thrilling, the film uses a great color scheme to create an odd warmth for its tale of passion. Exceeding the trappings of the crime mystery genre, the film never plays it safe and instead rises above cliches and keeps you guessing throughout. At no point is the film's tragic conclusion predictable, but it is certainly fun to watch it all come together with the film showcasing all of its little subtle hints that led to this finale.