Der rote Bär

It is a standard movie enhanced by the performances and some dialogs. 'El oso' comes out of prison after having been convicted for armed robbery and homicide , and finds his wife and 10 years daughter in a new family with Sergio. Sergio isn´t passing good times, unoccupied and with debts.

The love of 'El oso' for his daughter becomes almost an obsession, as the idea of repair the time not passed together. 'Is it true you killed a cop?' she ask him. 'Of course is not true. That's a very bad thing to do', is his answer. And he try to collect the money of a previous robbery from some old colleagues. 7/10

If this movie reminds you of `UNFORGIVEN', you are not wrong. The main difference is while that was set one hundred and fifty years in the past; this one is the present of many people in South America.

Oso (Bear), the nickname of a big and not particularly friendly guy, is released from prison after ten years. He was arrested, on his daughter's first birthday, committing a robbery where he killed a policeman. His only desires are to reencounter his daughter and collect his share of the robbery, his ex-boss `El Turco' never paid to his family.

Of course, the money and his family does not exist anymore. After such time, his wife got another man and his daughter is unaware of his existence. And his boss expend the money. For several reasons, he accepts another robbery organized by `El Turco'. Betrayal and death will follow.

Oso (as portrayed by the exceptional Argentinean actor Julio Chavez) a man is that knows hell and is used to it. He is a physical person, violent and not very fond of words. His face is tough and terrifying. The kind of guy you will (and must run away) if you ever cross with him. Aside from Chavez, Soledad Villamil as his wife, Luis Machin as the boyfriend and particulary Agostina Lage as the daughter are superb.

However, as many wild animals (and Oso is really wild) he will protect his siblings even if he has to kill for that. He has nothing else to loose, no future, and no fear or remorse. As I said, he has no future but he did not surrender either.

Caetano, never tries to make the character lovable. In one scene he steals from a peasant who refuses to give him money; in another, he beats his wife boyfriend (a poor guy who lost his job and is trying to make a few bucks gambling) because he thinks is bad for his daughter (coming from an unrepentant criminal and killer doesn't look very moralizing).

Oso is the real thing Tom Hanks tried and fail to do in `Road to Perdition'. In one scene with his daughter, she talks about things he does not care or understand, but his face or mask shows a huge effort to reach or communicate with her even when both worlds are impossible to mix.

Aside from the simple story, there is the incredible and moving background of the South American (Argentina in this case) poverty. There are no fancy houses here, walls are not painted or even finished. Mate is the drink or beer (in South America is cheaper that colas) and the houses are so small that one must stand for the other to pass. The catch here is that all those losers and criminals, are product of social situation of jobless families trying to survive in any way they can. So when the movie ends, do not expect the moral redempting American ending. Here, people keep the money even if it was not obtained honestly, because is they only way to survive.

Julio Chavez as the Red Bear is a less neurotic Tony Soprano. He's not a mob man, nor does he have a "family" to run, but he is a family man every bit as much as he is a killer.

In fact, other than the brief shootout that shows us why the Bear did a stretch of time right after his daughter's first birthday, the first hour and fifteen minutes of the movie are an intense, moving family drama involving four characters, all brilliantly acted: the Bear, his daughter, her mother, and the weak-willed loser the daughter and her mother now live with.

I could go on about how deftly the film portrays all these inhabitants of a seedy but still charming part of Buenos Aires—people barely getting by, people mostly on the wrong side of the law—but this story is squarely centered on the Bear. Again like Tony Soprano, he has a solid physical presence in every scene—a manly grace and style—even when he's doing something as simple as drinking a glass of beer or smoking his ever-present cigarette. He is dignified, never rushed, as he moves through his world, and yet he reacts with lightning swiftness when threatened or attacked. This is not a man to mess with, that's for sure.

This is not a thriller: it's an emotionally rewarding tale about family and violent crime. It's so perfectly structured, not only will you admire every scene as it unfolds, but in the end you will draw a deep breath of satisfaction at how well they all work together to tell the story. And the music, including the stirring national anthem of Argentina, is gorgeous! Even a children's story about how flamingos got their red legs seems to resonate with this tale of blood relationships—and blood money.

Last but not least, the final shootout is an instant classic: I watched it three times, that's how cool it is.

Don't miss this flick.

It's the first time I'm going to talk about an Argentinean movie, and I want to make it right. Adrian Caetano comes from the group of the innovating Argentinean directors that emerged some years ago (Pablo Trapero and others). He did the low budget film "Pizza, Birra, Faso", and then filmed some television series, before he came with the idea for "Un oso rojo", a powerful piece of film-making.

This is one of the most realistic movies I've seen in years. People like the characters in the film really live like that in Argentina. And the reason because the main character, Oso, has to do the things he doesfor his family, it's because that's the only way he can manage to help them. He can't get clean, he can't get a good job. He has just got out of jail, and is trying to make things right. He is madly in love with his daughter, Alicia. In one scene, the camera shows a tattoo Oso has, that says "Alicia" inside a heart. His daughter asks him: "Can that be taken away". "No, it can't", Oso says. Alicia replies: "Does it last forever?". "For ever", answers his father.

The other main characters are Natalia, Oso's ex-wife; Sergio, Natalia's actual husband; and El Turco, an old man that owes Oso 4000 "pesos". Then we see the characters wandering in their reality, and it shocks. It shocks to see a father with his daughter in the park, and a woman thinking the father is a stranger. Alicia seems to love her father too, although he keeps lying to her to hide a reality she could know. When Oso gets a job as a Car Driver, he's driving her daughter to school, and she asks: "Is this car yours or you stole it?". She's not stupid, and Agostina Lage shows it in a very convincing performance for a 9-year old girl. Natalia, Oso's wife; she was in love with him, once, not now. Soledad Villamil, a well-known Argentinean actress, plays the role naturally and speaks like her character should. Then there's a television and movie actor, who always does the same character; at least in my opinion. Luis Machín does it again here, playing Sergio, and it suits him great, in the role of a morally destroyed man.

Julio Chávez has the best performance anyway. So strong and powerful, and real; as the whole movie. Honestly, the movie is about him; with his deep feelings, with his love for his family. He would do anything for them; he shows it. It doesn't matter when, how, but he would risk everything. His performance was recognized with the most prestigious awards; and he deserved them all, because he did it superbly. It's in his eyes where you discover a truly focused performance.

The script is real and short. I mean, people don't speak much. The script doesn't need to go deeper, we understand it as it is, because the people in the movie can't talk with deep words; and that's how real it is. Because of the actors, Adrián Caetano has directed the film correctly. The movie has some flaws in terms of edition, but it is not noticeable. Together with "Historias Mínimas", "Un oso rojo" was the best film of 2002 in Argentina.

There are things people should know. In a scene, when Oso is trying to figure out what to do with his daughter, his chief talks to him a guy that works with them and lost his daughter: "Sometimes, if you want the best for your family, you have to stay away"

"Un oso rojo" is an excellent movie because it has a compelling plot, great cinematography/ editing/ sound, a very believable cast, and an outstanding performance by Julio Chavez (lead actor)... his portrayal of "El Oso" as a tough guy with a good heart and a "code of honor" is breathtaking.

But the main reason why you should go see this movie is that you won't find any of the cliches that -sadly- characterized Argentine films: there are no politics, no melodramatic cheesy scenes, no sex, no nudity, no romance!!!...And the trailer is fantastic (I have to admit is the first time I go see an Argentine movie because I was captivated by the trailer).