The Secret in Their Eyes

Name: The Secret in Their Eyes
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Crime
Released: April 16, 2010
Duration: 127 min
Rating: 80
Cast: Pablo Rago, Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil

2010

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 36 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 206 Ratings

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8.5

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8.5	User Score Universal acclaim based on 206 Ratings

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The Secret In Their Eyes

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Movie Details & Credits

Sony Pictures Classics | Release Date: April 16, 2010 | R

Starring: Pablo Rago, Ricardo Darín, Soledad Villamil

Summary: Recently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin, decides to write a novel based on a twenty-five year old unresolved rape and murder case, which still haunts him. Sharing his plans with Irene, the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years, Benjamin’s initial involvement with the case is shownRecently retired criminal court investigator Benjamin, decides to write a novel based on a twenty-five year old unresolved rape and murder case, which still haunts him. Sharing his plans with Irene, the beautiful judge and former colleague he has secretly been in love with for years, Benjamin’s initial involvement with the case is shown through flashbacks, as he sets out to identify the murderer. But Benjamin’s search for the truth will put him at the center of a judicial nightmare, as the mystery of the heinous crime continues to unfold in the present, testing the limits of a man seeking justice and personal fulfillment at last. (Sony Pictures Classics)… Expand

Director: Juan José Campanella

Genre(s): Drama, Mystery, Thriller, Romance, Crime

Rating: R

Runtime: 127 min

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Critic Reviews

100

David Denby

It's powerfully and richly imagined: a genre-busting movie that successfully combines the utmost in romanticism with the utmost in realism. Read full review

100

Rick Groen

The wonder is that the film balances its many genres, from the thorns of murder to the bloom of romance to the thickets of politics, with such easy grace. Read full review

Boxoffice Magazine Pete Hammond

Campanella has laced his story with twists and turns worthy of Hitchcock and the framing device of the novel (which forces the protagonist to sort out the whole thing through writing) is ingenious. Read full review

Bob Mondello

The Secret in Their Eyes finds secrets everywhere -- even in what's driving Ben and Irene as they separately examine the decisions they made back in the 1970s. For both of them, as for their country, accurate remembrance of that period is crucial. Read full review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

The performances are tender, the script elegant, the cinematography (especially during a virtuoso chase scene in a soccer stadium) artful. Read full review

Steven Rea

Although The Secret in Their Eyes has neither the power, the artistry, nor the electric energy of its fellow Oscar nominee, France's "A Prophet," the Argentine film nonetheless engages with style, suspense, and seriousness of intent. Criminal intent and otherwise. Read full review

Nicolas Rapold

Campanella, who overconfidently takes his time, outfits the film with ludicrous interrogation scenes, a drunken colleague who provides comic relief and redemptive tragedy, and a climactic flood of memories that plays like a trailer. Read full review

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User Reviews

Halfwelshman

May 21, 2011

A movie so rich and emotionally grabbing, you'll still have it on your mind days later. One of the finest murder-mysteries/romances (not that there are many) to ever be committed to film. Covering guilt, regret, love and obsession, the twisting, turning narrative featuring fully fleshed-outA movie so rich and emotionally grabbing, you'll still have it on your mind days later. One of the finest murder-mysteries/romances (not that there are many) to ever be committed to film. Covering guilt, regret, love and obsession, the twisting, turning narrative featuring fully fleshed-out and believable characters will engage you from the start, and it's even occasionally darkly comic! A true gem.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LaMagiadeVirue

Aug 15, 2013

Una genialidad del cine de mi país, Argentina. Campanella maneja muy bien la película y la historia es realmente impresionante. Suspenso, gran guión y muy bien contada.

0 of 1 users found this helpful01

Swoigin

Aug 16, 2010

Excellent film and thoroughly deserved it's Oscar win. Absorbing performances from all of the lead characters, beautifully written, and the direction and cinematography (including one long cut over a football stadium) were unbelievably accomplished for the director's first picture. TheExcellent film and thoroughly deserved it's Oscar win. Absorbing performances from all of the lead characters, beautifully written, and the direction and cinematography (including one long cut over a football stadium) were unbelievably accomplished for the director's first picture. The combination of so many different genres (mystery, romance etc.) would normally cause any movie made today in mainstream cinema to buckle under the weight, here however, the seamless transitions brings all emotions to the fore at one point or another. In a era of motion pictures when Hollywood seems so bereft of ideas, it appears more and more than the foreign language Oscar means a lot more in terms of invention, plot, script, acting, and passion, and never has this case be more apparent than here.… Expand

7 of 8 users found this helpful71

shayzoom9011

May 6, 2017

Oscar Best Foreign Languages nominees and winners must never be missed; they are mostly spectacular gems who screenplays deserve place in the Library of Congress. This Law & Order :Argentina seeming Gone Baby Gone reminding thriller hits you with an intense and powerful narrative culminatingOscar Best Foreign Languages nominees and winners must never be missed; they are mostly spectacular gems who screenplays deserve place in the Library of Congress. This Law & Order :Argentina seeming Gone Baby Gone reminding thriller hits you with an intense and powerful narrative culminating into what will only induce a double whammy; something which no one sees it coming! That quote - "The brevity or prolonging the life of a human being depends primarily on the flow of pain that person is forced to endure." by the author Eduardo Sacheri (y)… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Spangle

Jan 3, 2017

An intense crime film, The Secret in Their Eyes is incredibly dark, thrilling, and smart. Often times, mystery crime films can sort of go through the motions. There is a murder and a detective sets off to find out who committed the crime. There are clues, there are red herrings, and then theAn intense crime film, The Secret in Their Eyes is incredibly dark, thrilling, and smart. Often times, mystery crime films can sort of go through the motions. There is a murder and a detective sets off to find out who committed the crime. There are clues, there are red herrings, and then the predictable ending arrives. It is the equivalent of watching a crime show on CBS that is shown on Thursday nights. Yet, this Argentinian crime film is any but that sort of film. Instead, it is a smart film that creates political parallels and crafts a compelling tale of revenge, punishment, and pain. Instead of relying upon the crime, the crime merely serves as a spring board into deeper and more purposeful explorations.

Remade in 2015, I have not seen the remake, but it is clear that it is very different than this film. Starting with the brutal rape and murder of a woman, Liliana Coloto (Carla Quevedo), the film introduces our detective: Benjamin Esposito (Ricardo Darin). Writing a novel about the case 25 years after it happened, Esposito is a man who has never let go of this case. After the convicted killer escaped his clutches, Esposito continues to track him while forging an never-to-be romance with his boss, Irene (Soledad Vallamil). Along the way, he interacts with Liliana's widowed husband, Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago). As the film likely indicates through the title, the eyes are very important, as well as passion. A thing a person is passionate is something they can never let go. This is a major focus of the film, with much of the story being told through the eyes. Irene and Benjamin are passionate about one another and can never let each go, no matter how much time has passed. Ricardo is passionate about Liliana and cannot let her go as he seeks revenge for his wife's brutal death. The murderer is passionate about Liliana. These passions are through the eyes with Ricardo identifying the killer because of the look in his eyes in a photo and he can tell Ricardo's passion and anger simply by looking into his eyes. Here, the film is incredibly smart and really takes to the heart the belief that the eyes are the window to the soul.

One of the best features of the film, however, is the way in which it does not focus on the crime. By the halfway point, we know the killer. Yet, the film continues to have tricks up its sleeves and keeps you guessing all the way to the end. By the time the film ends, it leaves you shocked with its subtle brutality and the horrifying nightmare experienced by its character. The story here is really in the details and require complete attention throughout to be able to follow all of the moving parts. Thus, it is a film that would certainly benefit from a rewatch in order to pick up on all of these intricacies. Using a color-palette of browns, golds, and some grays, The Secret in Their Eyes feels both warm and passionate. Campanella uses the connotations of these colors to create a haunting atmosphere that feels omnipresent in the film and never really ceases. Though brown is typically a color of comfort, he uses it in such a way that nothing ever feels comfortable. Esposito walking to a crime scene or in the house leaves you with great anxiety, even if browns are a major color in these moments. At the very least, these colors work very well together the film is incredibly appealing to the eyes. With this great blend of colors, the film captures the nostalgic and melancholy nature of the film as Esposito is filled with regret over his love life and the crime, with nostalgia for a time when he had Irene and could have had a life with her.

Acting-wise, the film is equally terrific. Darin turns in a great performance in the lead role, capturing the stolid nature of his character as well as the internal tormented soul. As the film focuses on the eyes, his eyes are great here and really reveal the true nature of his character. Pablo Rago is also great in a smaller role here as he captures the depression and passion of Morales, the widowed husband. By the end, his performance stands as being one of the more haunting roles in the film and leaves a great impression along the way.

Overall, The Secret in Their Eyes is a great film. Haunting, tragic, and thrilling, the film uses a great color scheme to create an odd warmth for its tale of passion. Exceeding the trappings of the crime mystery genre, the film never plays it safe and instead rises above cliches and keeps you guessing throughout. At no point is the film's tragic conclusion predictable, but it is certainly fun to watch it all come together with the film showcasing all of its little subtle hints that led to this finale.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Nesbitt10

Feb 3, 2013

"The Secret in Their Eyes" is directed by Juan José Campanella--it is a splendid multifaceted film which skillfully alternates between the present and past, as it seamlessly intertwines a murder mystery, love story, and judicial injustice. All of these elements of the story are"The Secret in Their Eyes" is directed by Juan José Campanella--it is a splendid multifaceted film which skillfully alternates between the present and past, as it seamlessly intertwines a murder mystery, love story, and judicial injustice. All of these elements of the story are flushed-out--creating depth, and all play a crucial part in Juan José Campanella's adaptation of Eduardo Sacheri's novel. A film that effectively juggles both affection and misery, using Benjamin's conflicted heart as a way to humanize the chilling details, while observing a man not only starved for justice, but after a woman he abandoned decades earlier.
Benjamín (Ricardo Darín), a retired court investigator, is trying to write a novel about an old case of his that was never resolved to his satisfaction. More than two decades ago, a woman was brutally raped and murdered, and although suspects were found, the case against them was thrown out on technical grounds. However, Benjamín always suspected someone else entirely. Benjamín and his assistant Pablo Rago (Ricardo Morles), ultimately were certain that a man named Isidoro Gómez was the real killer. For help, he returns to his old office and bounces his thoughts off Irene (Soledad Villamil), whom he has always loved despite never acting on those feelings. The past and the present begin to merge as pieces of the case are reinvestigated, forcing Benjamín to reflect on his past, and what could have been. But Benjamín's search for the truth will put him at the center of a judicial nightmare, as the mystery of the heinous crime committed 25 years ago continues to haunt him in the present. Interweaving past and present, we see how the investigation affects Benjamín, as well as Irene, over the period of decades. Stealthily weaving Esposito's relationship with Irene into the on-going murder mystery, it takes on a life of it's own--a compulsive narrative that manages to be genuinely surprising. Haunting and gracefully, the film reveals its secrets slowly. Lengthly, but engaging, wonderful storytelling, and extremely well-done. The entire cast is uniformly superb, enhancing this foreign thriller--with its intelligent, layered screenplay. Oscar winner for Best Foreign Language Film (2010). **This was a unpredicted and surprising winner of the Oscar. It beat out two great films also in contention that year. Respectively-- "A Prophet" and "The White Ribbon."… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

wadewilliams

Nov 20, 2015

ok, here I go again trashing a movie where, it seems, others rave on about it. From the previews I'd seen a month or so ago, I thought I was in for a chase-suspense-payback thriller. Instead, I got a bunch of scenes with Kidman still looking hot and her co-starlet (sorry to say, Mr Gere)ok, here I go again trashing a movie where, it seems, others rave on about it. From the previews I'd seen a month or so ago, I thought I was in for a chase-suspense-payback thriller. Instead, I got a bunch of scenes with Kidman still looking hot and her co-starlet (sorry to say, Mr Gere) "Repugnant Woman" looking constantly forlorn, troubled, miscast and dull --- the dialogue came quick and seemingly pointless at times and the end turned into a rather silly thing...dare I call it a twisted, surprise ending? --- bad boy in a cage...Julia, you repugnant psycho you!!! The flashbacks came and went so quickly, one had to either measure hot kidman's hair or pay attn to what's-his-name's salt and slightly peppered hair in order to, dare I say, follow along??? A mosque, a stable, a baseball game, a chopshop, a cage.....I couldn't wait for this to end---I guess I need to see the French version (with or without subtitles---it wouldn't matter).… Expand

1 of 3 users found this helpful12

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34	#34 Best Movie of 2010
18	#18 Most Shared Movie of 2010