For many years since his retirement "Espósito" (Ricardo Darín) has been haunted by a brutal case of rape and murder that he was unable to solve. He decides that maybe the best way to formulate his thoughts and re-order the investigation is to write a novel, so with the help of an antiquated old Olivetti from his friend, and the new departmental boss "Irene" (Soledad Villamil) he starts to reconstruct the investigation. Using transcripts and photographs, he alights on the woman's schoolfriend "Gómez" (Javier Godino) who has long since disappeared from the scene. Increasingly, he becomes convinced in this man's complicity and now consulting with the dead woman's widower "Morales" (Pablo Rago) we all start to learn a little about the backstory, and it's complex, violent and tragic in equal measure. Can his deductions find the truth? This is a great example of a methodological and forensic drama that looks at the crime, sure, but it takes almost the same amount of time and effort to examine the strongly built characterisations. The nature of obsession, the desire for closure and completion - all addictive aspects of human nature that Darín and the almost perfect pacing from Juan José Campanella deliver here. It's a mystery that works on several levels evaluating the effectiveness of legal process and modern policing whilst reminding us that those exposed to crime are also affected, sometimes profoundly, by what they encounter. This works really well in a cinema, if you can. The frequently intimate style of the photography and the sparing use of light at times makes this an eerily effective watch that is rarely straightforward.
