The saying ‘the eyes are the windows to the soul’ is perhaps no better explored than in the Argentinian Academy Award winning (for Best Foreign Language Film) 2009 motion picture The Secret in Their Eyes. Though the face is often inscrutable, as many put on masks to hide their true feelings from those around them, the eyes truly show the love, hate, lust, passion, pain, regret and confusion that lies just below the mysterious facade.
Co-written, directed, edited and produced by Juan José Campanella, the story follows retired criminal investigator Benjamín Esposito (Ricardo Darín) as he contemplates the innumerable hours he spent on the Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo) murder case (it is his white whale) by way of writing a novel. Struggling with a proper beginning, he visits Judge Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil), who he worked with all those years ago (the murder took place in 1974).
Flashing between past and present (2000), we learn of the rape and brutal murder of Coloto. Her husband, Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago), is distraught. Despite the fact that the murder has been pinned on two suspects, the case is like a constant itch under the skin of Esposito, and he breaks protocol more than once after discovering a number of photos where a certain individual from the murdered girl’s past, Isidoro Gómez (Javier Godino), is always staring at her, infatuated with the beautiful woman.
With the new suspect on the lamb, Esposito and his alcoholic, slightly dim-witted but loyal friend and co-worker Pablo Sandoval (Guillermo Francella is breathtaking, reminding me in a way of Steve Carell in some of his more complex roles), attempt to track the man. Likewise, Morales, still looking for justice, waits each day after work at a different station – hoping to spot the surmised murderer.
We also learn of the complex relationship between Esposito and Judge Hastings, as they both share a deep desire for the other, yet neither (especially Esposito) takes the leap of faith needed to bring up their complicated feelings (though work is surely a deterrent, and the fact that they are from two very different walks of life also plays an integral part). The dream-like opening scene, that takes place at a train station (and is a moment from their collective past), echoes the labyrinthine way in which the mind works, and that the perception of a particular happening may not be how it actually occurred.
Somewhat surprisingly, it is Sandoval who makes the first breakthrough, realizing that “a guy can change anything. His face, his home, his girlfriend, his religion, his God. But there’s one thing he can’t change. He can’t change his passion . . .”. Though this revelation does get them their man, an unexpected issue allows him to walk free.
Esposito (in the present), is still filled with regret, more than frustrated by all of the unanswered questions and unfulfilled moments from his past. Will he be able to solve the long since cold case and find solace in his life of solitude and dark reflection, or will he forever wallow in the quagmire of his failures and what ifs?
Concocted in a near perfect way, Campanella’s The Secret in Their Eyes is a striking mystery thriller. Deftly fusing past and present, murder and unspoken love, as well as so many other interesting elements, the film draws us into the brooding enigma of a puzzle. It is not surprising that there are quite a few close-up shots, with the eyes always telling a deeper and sometimes alternate tale than that found on the surface. A set piece that truly deserves highlighting is a chase scene filmed during a soccer match. It is tense, claustrophobic, visually arresting and mightily impressive – it is hard to fathom how they did it.
Memory and perception are also brought forth in thought provoking ways. Morales, always moving forward and looking for his own kind of retribution, still carries the spirit of his wife with him everywhere he goes. Though as time passes and things fade, he admits that “. . . I start having doubts and I don’t remember if it was lemon or honey in the tea. And I don’t know if it’s a memory or a memory of a memory I’m left with”. Later on, the contemplative, melancholic man also philosophises that “if you keep going over the past, you’re going to end up with a thousand pasts and no future”. One more for you to ponder, “Choose carefully. Memories are all we end up with. At least pick the nice ones”. As if an opposing bookend, our protagonist Esposito spends his retirement reliving the dark days of his past. Still haunted by the Coloto case, as well as missed opportunities revolving around lost love and his best friend, Esposito writes about his history to help him understand, in some way, the situation he finds himself in.
Featuring richly drawn characters, stellar performances, and a haunting ending that still holds some hope, The Secret in Their Eyes is a vivid film that feels palpably real. There is such a philosophical depth to the story, making it a motion picture that you can easily revisit time and time again. The climax, which will stick with you for some time, feels both like a surprising twist as well as an inevitable conclusion. Though not as epic or as ‘jump out of your seat’ shocking as the finale of The Usual Suspects, it has that masterful, eye-opening vibe, though on a much more depressing, sombre level. So, don’t live a life full of nothing, make sure to uncover this Oscar winner – it will definitely catch your eye.