I can't deny I had great expectations regarding this movie after seeing Bielinsky masterpiece "Nueve Reinas", so I might be a little biased.
First, Ricardo Darín performance is totally disappointing. Even when Esteban Espinosa is a phlegmatic and introverted taxidermist, one could expect a hint of consternation after he accidentally kills a man; instead, he acts as if he had lost his car's keys. And the rest of the cast (save Dolores Fonzi) is even worse.
Second, the dialogs are absolutely weak. Maybe that contributed to the poor performances, pushing the actors to think "How can I say this unrealistic and extemporaneous line without looking stupid?".
On the bright side: Even when the pace is too slow (my wife was bored to death during the whole movie), it kept my attention almost all the time, mostly due to a clever plot. It's clearly the kind of pace that sets you in the right mood for this movie. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but it's not like it wasted a masterpiece, anyway.
Maybe if I dared to watch it a second time with less expectations, now that I know it's not remotely close to "Nueve Reinas", I could find it to be good. In fact, if I hadn't watched "Nueve Reinas" I could end up thinking it's the best Argentinian movie ever, which says more about Argentinian cinema than this film in particular.
First, Ricardo Darín performance is totally disappointing. Even when Esteban Espinosa is a phlegmatic and introverted taxidermist, one could expect a hint of consternation after he accidentally kills a man; instead, he acts as if he had lost his car's keys. And the rest of the cast (save Dolores Fonzi) is even worse.
Second, the dialogs are absolutely weak. Maybe that contributed to the poor performances, pushing the actors to think "How can I say this unrealistic and extemporaneous line without looking stupid?".
On the bright side: Even when the pace is too slow (my wife was bored to death during the whole movie), it kept my attention almost all the time, mostly due to a clever plot. It's clearly the kind of pace that sets you in the right mood for this movie. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but it's not like it wasted a masterpiece, anyway.
Maybe if I dared to watch it a second time with less expectations, now that I know it's not remotely close to "Nueve Reinas", I could find it to be good. In fact, if I hadn't watched "Nueve Reinas" I could end up thinking it's the best Argentinian movie ever, which says more about Argentinian cinema than this film in particular.