El bonaerense

i was pleasantly surprised by this movie at a recent film festival screening. most of it is deadpan, jarmusch-like slice-of-life comedy, but moments of senseless violence pop up unexpectedly.

it's the story of a small-time hood who's sent by his well-connected uncle to join the buenos aires police, which is depicted as, pretty much, a small time crime family with uniforms.

the offbeat story is matched by the offbeat story-telling, which keeps you guessing every step of the way. the cinematography and music are also top notch, which contributes to the film's tangible, sweat-soaked atmosphere.

i'm not sure what it all adds up to, but an intelligent and well-made movie which never bores is no small feat.

This is a raw, passionate and brutally honest piece of film-making by a director destined (one would hope) to make more films of this quality.

Pablo Trapero, sharing his unique view of the world via the camera, not only gives us stunning and arresting imagery but draws remarkable performances from his cast, especially Jorge Roman as Zapa (frighteningly vacant at times) and Dario Levy as the charismatic but ultimately underhand Gallo.

One of the best films I've seen in a long time.

A cop's life in Argentina.. AND, that of a cop who's not even a cop! Sounds interesting, doesn't it? Well, it kind of is.. The story and the acting are not too bad. But unfortunately the movie suffers from the typical lacking of most Argentine movies: It doesn't have a twist. I think the rather weak screenplay is to blame. With this story and these actors, a much better movie could have been made. Plot, screenplay, story, etc.. Those concepts must be well-knit (or at least each handled properly) in order to make a flawless movie. That's where El Bonaerense fails. Something is sooo missing! I'm not sure what exactly, but something for sure. So I can't say it's quite rewarding. Tries hard, but doesn't really deliver. Nevertheless, it's watchable, and quite an interesting insight on Argentina and its police force in general. I would recommend watching it if it's not going to cost you too much. But if you're planning to add one more item to your DVD archive, buy something else with your money to add to your collection, and just RENT this very one to watch once.

Mendoza (Zapa) is a simple locksmith's assistant who does a job for his boss by helping a couple of guys open their safe' he doesn't ask why they need him to crack it and they don't tell him. However he is picked up for the job within a few days and only gets released because his nephew is the chief of police. Forced to leave town in exchange for release he heads to Buenos Aries and takes up training with the police force there thanks to an "in" from his uncle. However Zapa soon realises that this will not be an easy job compared to his last one and indeed may expose him to more wrongdoing than his safecracking assignments.

It must be said that this film surprised me by how slow sections of it appeared to be and how I was left totally uninterested by some parts of it – something, considering the subject, I never expected. The film is not so much about Zapa as a person as it is about the corruption of the police (well, authorities generally) in Argentina and how even "good" people cannot cope to overcome something when they are surrounded by it. In this regard it could have been a fascinating look at corruption told within a thriller format where the main character is interesting because we see him fall morally and get to see the conflict he goes through as a result. Sadly the film doesn't really manage to do a great of this to any great extent. This is not to say that it is valueless, because it is not without positive aspects and it is interesting as an allegory of how corruption corrupts but it just felt that it could have been better in almost every area if it just was a bit better.

The character of Zapa does change during the film but I never really felt for the guy or got to grips with who he was – the change was the all and his character was less important. Likewise the corruption played out is not that gripping and I would have liked to see it delivered as more of an eye-opener as opposed to just being general wallpaper (although I suppose the corruption is so normal that this delivery is part of the film's point). I know that to some degree I am expecting this film to be something it wasn't but it is hard to watch it without seeing weaknesses that could have been strengthened by a bit more development or tightening in key areas. The cast is OK and Roman does well enough to keep the film going but I did wonder if he understood his character any better than I did. The supporting cast are all effective and provide as much support as is required although I would have liked to have seen some stronger characters in there.

Overall this is an interesting film that acts as an indictment on police corruption within Argentina and perhaps, bearing in mind the state of that country, a judgement on authority full stop. The narrative could have been tighter, the characters could have been realer and more engaging and the script been better but, despite these flaws, it is still worth a watch for what it does do.

This film was shown on cable recently. Unfortunately, most Aregentine "indie" films go unnoticed in this country because there is no market for something like this, even though it's better than most of the mediocrity one sees on a daily basis. Pablo Trapero's film is disturbing. Having seen his "Mundo Grua", we had to take a look at this new attempt of the director.

Mr. Trapero introduces us to Zapa, a young locksmith, living in the provinces. Zapa, is not a young man anymore, he is 32 and has no future. Zapa is the victim of an unscrupulous boss who sends him to a job that involves a robbery. An uncle is instrumental for getting him free when he speaks to a friend in the Buenos Aires' police department about a job. Zapa is accepted, but his initiation and training, contribute to his ultimate downfall; he is a victim of a system that is inept and corrupt. A great deal of the higher ups are on the take; in order to look the other way, those working in prostitution, or illegal activities, must pay for police protection.

It doesn't help that Zapa falls prey of a ruthless superior, Gallo, who makes him bend the same law they are sworn to uphold. Zapa falls in love with Mabel, one of the instructors, who is the only one that shows any compassion, and perhaps love, in the cold atmosphere of the big city, until she realizes her lover is working for the bad guys in the department.

The film offers good performances in general. Jorge Roman, as Zapa, makes us care for this man. Mr. Roman's casting is perfect because he brings to the role a roughness that with another actor would have been ruined. At the same time, this actor shows a vulnerability and candor in his interpretation of the yokel from the provinces. Mimi Ardu is good as Mabel, Zapa's love interest. Their intimate scenes are so sensual they make the viewer a 'voyeur' watching them. Finally, Dario Levy, as Gallo, the corrupt cop, makes a great appearance.