ABC Film Challenge – Oscar Nomination – A – Argentina 1985 – Movie Rob’s Pick
“The History was not made by guys like me.” – Julio César Strassera
Number of Times Seen – 1 (1 Feb 2023)
Brief Synopsis – Following the establishment of Argentina as a democracy in the mid-1980’s, two of the countries top lawyers are charged with prosecuting the military injustices committed by the previous regime and their military underlings.
My Take on it – fascinating idea that doesn’t work as well as one might hope despite still giving a clear idea of what was happening in Argentina during that time. The trial is done well, but it isn’t as animated as one might expect after watching Law & Order for decades or other similar procedurals on TV and in the Movies.
They do a great job showing the fear that everyone was under during the trial. Not only were the witnesses scared to be tortured (again), but the families of the legal team and the men and women of the team themselves were under constant threat from those who supported the previous government. Unfortunately, this isn’t the kind of trial that could be shown any other way and this was the best choice of how to present it. I definitely understand how and why this movie won Best Foreign language Film at the Golden Globes but unfortunately it looks (as of now) as if they will have to suffice with an Oscar nomination in that category since it is not the front-runner.
Recommended!
MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – After winning the Golden Globe for best non-English language film, fellow actor Peter Lanzani revealed that Ricardo Darin used his “lucky charm” for awards ceremonies and told the cast and crew to think, “Don’t worry, we’re not going to win, we have no chance, we’re losers, be calm, we won’t have to make a speech, we won’t win.” (From IMDB)
Rating – Globe Worthy (7/10)