The Secret in Their Eyes follows Benjamín Espósito, a retired criminal court investigator who is haunted by an unresolved rape and murder case from the 1970s.
The film is set in two timelines: the 1970s, when the crime occurred, and the late 1990s, when Espósito decides to write a novel about the case in an attempt to find closure.
This is an incredibly tightly-plotted crime drama. I genuinely had no idea how it would end. And what an ending! (You are going to have to watch it to find out!)
But it is also thought-provoking.
Do you do what you want to do? Or are you afraid? This is the question I kept having as I watched this movie. It is by turns terrifying and tender, exhilarating and depressing. But the theme of our failure to act resonates throughout.
It’s also pretty scary.
Possibly the most terrifying scene is when Esposito and Irene are in the lift with the killer. Nothing is said. The fear is palpable. It lasts forever. But they are afraid. They do nothing. They can do nothing.
We are all afraid. Our fear freezes us.
As well as being a crime thriller, it is also a gentle unrequited love story: the touching failure of Esposito to act on his feelings for Irene. Again fear freezes us.
There are some stunning scenes in this movie: the 5 minute single shot chase scene in the football stadium is probably the best I’ve seen.
But by the end you will be left with the question: are you taking action? Are you doing what needs to be done?
Hope you like The Secret in their Eyes. Support great movies and buy the dvd!