This Argentine film follows a non-linear chronology and depicts the story of a Federal Justice Agent, Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin) who is horrified at the rape and murder of a twenty-three year old woman called Lilliana Colotto & decides to do whatever It takes to bring justice.
Cut to the present day, Esposito is a retired man, writing a novel based on the Colotto homicide. He finds It difficult to start the novel and goes to meet his Department Chief, Irene Menendez-Hastings, the same woman that he had begun to love amidst the malignant mystery of the murder.
The film uses the flashback technique frequently & cleverly & with such aging details that It is so evident to tell the constant shift in the time-line.
The case is almost solved as Esposito, with the help of his alcoholic assistant, Pablo Sandoval catches the accused, Isidoro Gomez. The victim's husband, Ricardo Morales, who has also taken personal measures to reach the accused, seem justified and at rest.
However, less than a year later, Gomez is set free by the Government Agency, headed by Esposito's rival, Romano. This not only angers Esposito but also puts him in jeopardy as It becomes palpable after the brutal murder of Sandoval, that Romano will do anything to spite Esposito.
The film has a beautiful and unspoken love story, surrounded by the twists and turns of the treacherous case, that leaves their fate undecided and unsure.
The pace at which the film moves has been timed acutely that there is not a single speck of boredom, only anxiety as to get closer to where the truth lies and what becomes of them all.
It is a bare-faced fact that with great films, come great actors. This movie only proves that fact accurate. The actors provide concrete weight to their roles, enhancing the film in the right direction, without exaggerating or dissipating the characters they play.
Watch the film for It's intensity and the brilliant illustration of the time transition without changing the focus of the matter.
