Argentine social realism mixes with stylized gunplay in this film from director Adrián Caetano. Oso (Julio Chávez) is an inexpressive, heavyset convict who tries to start a new life after being released from jail. His young daughter Alicia (Agostina Lage) has forgotten him and her mother (Soledad Villamil) has long since found a new man--the weak but faithful Sergio (Luis Machín)--with whom she and Alicia share a small home in a rundown Buenos Aires neighborhood. Oso tries to reestablish himself in Alicia's life, but his past keeps getting in the way, eventually causing him to take one final, dangerous job for his scheming old crime boss, the Turk.
While the film's mythic western story arc of violence and redemption is nothing new, it's still powerful and moving thanks to Caetano's skill in capturing the subtle beauty of his rundown locations and struggling characters. As with his earlier BOLIVIA, this film provides a nonjudgmental window into Argentina's financial problems, revealing how a proud, richly cultured nation has been driven to extreme measures by economic depression. Performances are naturalistic and strong, with Chávez a standout as the quintessential loner, Oso. With almost no changes in his character's glum exterior, he manages to hint at a concealed wealth of deep emotion; his scenes with Lage are quietly heartbreaking.
Part of the New Directors/New Films series presented by The Department of Film and Media at the Museum of Modern Art and the Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York City.
