The Aura

This is another magnificent movie delivered by director Fabián Belinsky. I found the script captivating enough as to keep me tied to my seat from start to end. But besides, there's another goodie within El Aura, which is the photographic quality together with a pace that without being much too fast, remains still along the whole film -no decay at all-, making it a delight for purists and good quality cinema lovers. I found a couple of minor flaws which stand for the 9 instead of a 10, but they are indeed so minor that they can be perfectly overlooked. Moreover, Oscar Awards nomination should follow, as El Aura has absolutely nothing to envy from the very best Hollywood products. Indeed, film noir as good as it can be. Can't miss it.

Fabian Bielinsky's sudden death gave me an incentive to write these lines. Since the first time I watched "El aura" (The aura) -three times by now- I was touched by an awkward, strange feeling. ¿What was about? A story of a zombie, a man who is not aware about his own death (This is not an spoiler, nothing to do with the plot). In a way, it was the same thing I felt watching "Carnival of Souls" (Herk Harvey 1962). These movies are not only about ghosts, lost souls, lost people, they were made by them. Ricardo Darin's character is Bielinsky himself: had he the feeling about his impending end? If you didn't know anything about this weird tale, take a look of it. Some people complain about its pace, the story, the absolute lack of sense of humor. And they compare El Aura with Nine Queens, the other Bielinsky's movie. In my point of view Nine Queen is a nice, frivolous exercise, but once and for all, "El aura" is a whole new game, a different stage. If you are in the right mood, it will take you to another world, the world from Bielinsky was making this film, near his own end.

Fabián Bielinsky's last movie excellently performed by Argentina big star , Ricardo Darin . It deals with Espinoza (magnificent , as always , Ricardo Darin) is a quiet taxidermist who secretly dreams of executing the perfect crime. On his first ever hunting trip, in the calm of the Patagonian forest, his dreams are made reality with one squeeze of the trigger. Espinoza accidentally murders an old man named Dietrich (Manuel Rodal) married a young girl (a young Dolores Fonzi gives an enjoyable acting ) who results out to be a real criminal and inherits his scheme: the heist of an armored van carrying casino profits. Caught up in a world of complex new rules and frightening violence, Espinoza's lack of experience puts him in real danger. And he has another, more dangerous liability : he is an epileptic. Before each seizure he is visited by the ''aura'' . These attacks appear without notice when he least expects them, just when he needs all his wits about him .

This is a co-production Argentina/Spain , being well paced , skillfully edited and suspenseful . Interesting and exciting movie about a deluded taxidermist who plans the perfect robbery ; it is plenty of thrills , intense drama , violence , action and is pretty interesting . However , the picture turns out to be overlong and slow moving . Very good acting by Ricardo Darin as a shy taxidermist who suffers epilepsy attacks , a paradoxical moment of confusion and enlightenment where the past and future seem to blend , and he is obsessed with committing the perfect crime. Darin is an excellent leading figure of the most important Argentinian movies such as "El Faro" (1998), "El Mismo Amor La Misma Lluvia" (1999), "Nueve Reinas" (2000), "La Fuga" (2001) and especially ¨El Hijo de la Novia¨ . Stirring as well as sensitive musical score by Lucio Godoy , an extraordinary composer expert on dark atmospheres such as ¨Rage¨, ¨Night runner¨, ¨The others¨, ¨Intacto¨ and many others . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Checco Varese . The motion picture well produced by great producers Gerardo Herrero and Victor Hadida , was compellingly directed by Fabian Bielinsky , in his second and last film , the first was also successful titled ¨9 Reinas¨ also starred by Ricardo Darin and even had an American remake . Fabian sadly deceased at 47 years old . This is an above average film and Argentina's official submission to the 2006 Academy Awards for the category of Foreign Language Film . The picture will appeal to Ricardo Darin fans and thriller aficionados .

El Aura

A few months ago, a true tragedy occurred; and I'm gonna say the same thing many people did. This year, Fabián Bielinsky died of a heart attack at the age of 46 in Brasil, while promoting his second film. A heart attack was the misfortune of one of the great Argentine directors who leaves us two legacies of fabulous film-making: "Nueve Reinas" and "El Aura".

"Nueve Reinas" was a tale of the Buenos Aires reality; a tale of thieves and cops, a tale of honest people and bastards, a tale of being played (conned) in the best existent way. If America didn't watch Bielinsky's original version, they watched "Criminal"; and go check the credits because he is there and if I watched "Nueve Reinas" today, I'm sure I'd feel the same way: Wow!

It took him five years to release his second movie. I don't know when he started writing it, when he finished it and in how many time he shot it, but I know he did a flawless job. A movie like "El Aura", in any other country, is a very good film from Argentina, but for us it's something we've never seen before; something that makes us think and feel.

Argentine cinema is nationalist; it shows our customs, the family life…And that's great, because new filmmakers have the chance of telling real stories and getting to the viewer…But with Bielinsky the line is indifferent; the main character in "El Aura", a taxidermist, could be a person from any part of the world; but he is Argentinean and he goes to the Patagonia on a hunting trip.

What happens during that trip I can't tell, but hint; it's about a robbery Bielinsky's main character always dreamed of, about a dog that represents a lot more than an animal, about secrets told and secrets known, about epilepsy. The taxidermist haves these attacks and the movie begins when he has woken up after having one.

In one occasion, he is asked: "Do they hurt?". "No", he says. "I know when they're going to come; because a few seconds earlier, I feel something…The doctors call it 'aura'…" The explanation which follows that statement is a pure demonstration of the cinematographic language. Because Bielinsky understands the language, he plays freely with it.

His picture is full of silence, but it wouldn't be as good without the shots he achieves while the silence lasts and the facial expressions of the taxidermist; but that's the work of an actor. Ricardo Darín is the most popular actor of our country, but we see him act every time, and the ones who love cinema, know; that today he is also the best actor we have. Just watch him here in the silence, pay attention to his body language; he carries the whole film on his shoulders.

However, the rest of the cast is first-rate. Dolores Fonzi, Alejandro Awada, Jorge D'Elía, Pablo Cedrón, a growing young talent called Nahuel Pérez Biscayart (a cast member of the Argentine adaptation of "Desperate Housewives" Mom!) and a totally unexpected and revealing portrayal by Walter Reyno. The film has been discussed in many ways, because it might mean more than it appears to mean. Don't worry about that, just admire this unique work and then feel happy for it.

Fabián Bielinsky: May you rest in peace.

Ricardo Darin's Espinosa portrait is just like my reflection in the mirror. I found myself in it. Fabian Bielinsky's 3rd directing and 5th screenplay experience happened to be his last step of his career. With El Aura, he carries us away into the world of a misunderstood desolate man. For most films, people don't like reading a review or collecting detailed information before actually seeing the film. But if the film you're approaching is a mystery and cannot be understood easily in the first view, you should get some clue of it before watching. Anyhow, El Aura is one of them.

Esteban Espinosa earns his life with taxidermy, filling up animal hides of wild-life. He is a naturalist and jack of all trades, has a strong memory and is very observant. One day waiting at a queue at the bank, he shares his most marvellous dream -to rob a bank- with his friend; while he is being offered to accompany his friend for shoot day out in the forest. On a Monday, they settle into a motel in the forest, where they weren't hosted well enough and were questioned if they are local; putting them on the jitters. With this bad mood, they start arguing while hunting for deers. After his friend insulted him and left him alone; he gets caught into a major epilepsy fit for a moment and falls in a faint. When he wakes up he is unconscious; and while aiming to shoot a deer, he suddenly turns his rifle to an old man walking in the forest and shoots him. Gaining back his conscious, he goes near to the man he shot; whose cell-phone starts to ring. Espinosa takes his cellphone and his i.d. ; then hides the corpse in a pit. To avoid the trouble he fell into, he remains calm and turns back to motel to stay there longer than planned. His friend goes back to the city, then he starts stepping towards his mysterious journey; when he finds out that the man he killed is the owner of the motel.

The screenplay segments work completely perfect: Plot is very well built, script is written professionally in a plain format, story developing at its best, character developing is well crafted, and the main theme is so wisely gives multiple messages and views. Everything we see, we hear, we witness are elements of a complete mystery. This film needs to be seen very carefully. Flashback sequences will be refreshing our memory of the earlier scenes where it's completely necessary. Also it's clearly to see that the editing and the full post-production job with music and sound effects are best fit.

I find it essential to analyze Esteban Espinosa's characterization work. There are 4 basic factors that differentiates Espinosa's character:

1/His life... 2/His dreams... 3/His self-defensive attitudes... 4/His disability:Epilepsy

He is not happy living his life on his own. He has a hidden adventurous character. He likes trouble, he likes testing his limits. Thus he pokes his nose into everything. He steals, collects and carries with him almost everything he thinks it's useful. In fact, Esteban Espinosa character may be an awesome sample of a Point-and-click Adventure Game. His character has been designed to be another Guybrush or another George Stobbart. Overall, El Aura is among the best of all-time Mystery/Adventure movies.