One review on 08 Mar 2025

Argentina 2009

Running time: 129 mins

The Secret in Their Eyes

El secreto de sus ojos

Director : Juan José Campanella 

Setting: Argentina
Original language: Spanish
Summary: Reitired court investigator writes a novel about an old case that has troubled him and continues the investigation to find out what happened afterwards


Cast:

  • Ricardo Darín  Esposito (the investigator)
  • Soledad Villamil  Irene (Chief Investigator)


Aspect Ratio: 2.35 (anamorphic)

Colour: Colour

Sound: Stereo

Camera: 35mm


Related Links



First Seen: Sat 8th Mar 2025
Catalogued: 9th Mar 2025

Synopsis

Told with two timelines - the past (1974) which may or may not be misremembered) and follows the original investigation through to the arrest of Gomez and his release, and the present (1999) with Esposito starting to write his novel and reopen the investigation which leads him to recognise and uncover some unexpected truths.

Reviews

by rogerco on Sat 8th Mar 2025 DVD proj @ home (Subtitled)

Excellent thriller very well resolved

Full review

Gripping from the opening scenes of Esposito exploring his memories as he struggles to write asnd visiting his old boss - who is still working and then the gradual exposition of what happened 20 years earlier and how they eventually caught and broke a confession out of Gomez by Irene goading him about his inferiority - and then the unexpected release and his presumed employment as a hired killer for the deep state, Epiosito's colleagues murder in his flat and his exile to a remote outpost.

Then in the present they track down Morales (the victim's husband) and discover no trace of Gomez. Eposito visits Morales, also in self imposed exile to a remote town, and discovers him living alone with a photo of his wife. He eventually confesses that when the investigation failed he tracked down Gomez and captured and killed him

Driving away something doesn't ring true to Epiosito and he circles back and watches Morales house until he sees him carry food and water to a barn. Inside he discovers Gomez still alive and serving a real life sentence for his crime in solitary silence - Morales does not speak to him.

Eposito leaves and resolves to seek his own closure with the murdered colleague, who he now realises was killed because he told the killers that he was Eposito, and Irene - which ends the film with her smile.