El Clan

A few years back, I was advising a Francophile mate of the virtues of the wonderful French comedy, The Intouchables. I mentioned also that the subtitling was superb. 'How would you know?' he asked, aware that I had but a smattering of schoolboy French. I explained that the grammar and syntax was perfect, and colloquialisms clearly caught the spirit of the piece - you simply forgot you were reading script, allowing you to concentrate on the visuals.

Sadly, the taut Argentine crime thriller,The Clan, looks as if it's been subtitled by a dyslexic alcoholic using Google translate. It was extremely frustrating. I was clearly watching a very well made film, based on real events, about a Mafiosa-style family engaged in kidnapping and extortion; this was at a time, the 1980s, when the government was up to similar tactics - many dissidents simply disappeared. Keeping Police and officials sweet, the family could act with near impunity.

Everything about the film - its story, pacing, acting, direction was top notch. But the constantly poor subtitling proved too great a distraction and detracted from the film itself.

I can recommend the film without hesitation to any fluent Spanish speakers among you.

My wife and I saw this film at the Louisiana Film Festival last night not knowing what to expect. Before I go on, my wife and I have totally different views and tastes when it comes to the art of film but this time we both came out of "El Clan" pretty satisfied. This film started off pretty slow but did get a little more riveting as it went on. There really were no big surprises or twists in this film. It was pretty much straight forward but got more interesting as the film went on. The story is simple; The Puccio Family, who is a model family on the outside, is a family that is in the business of kidnapping rich people for money and then killing them. Arquimedes Puccio (Guillermo Francella) is a respectable store owner who has an adoring wife and five respectable kids but all of this is a front for what they really do, simple but good. The acting in this film was great, especially from Guillermo Francella who played the part of Arquimedes Puccio, the totalitarian leader of "El Clan". The program director for the film festival mentioned, because this film didn't win or get a nomination for the foreign film category at the Oscars, Twentieth Century Fox decided to drop it, which is a shame because it's actually a decent film. I had no regrets seeing it.

The film hits from the real and moves the focus on one of the children who suffer most acts of his father, who embodies a sober Franchella that has long been demonstrating his talent for drama also. Format images first constant level remains stuck at viewer will not regret it in the film, which will feel some concern that under the aspects of normalcy can hide eyesores, this very well managed by the principal. I did not like the supporting performances and the appearance of the wife could have been more widespread. Compared to other good films of Argentine cinema may have lacked artistic details that make it more blockbuster, but certainly is a creation that will be a very good story in a story that is surprising.

The most colorful epoch of criminality in Argentina during Galtieri's military dictatorship era is brought to life in this story of a robber and criminal family . As this family kidnapped and killed people in the 80s in a period of economical crisis when any employment, even illegal, was cherished, ambition, money and power originated an interminable cycle of fury and violence. It deal with the Puccio family led by the honorable daddy called Arquimedes : Guillermo Francella , he is going as far as to supervise the homework of his youngest daughter as a dedicated teacher . His eldest son is Alejandro, -Peter Lanzani- , a Rugby star champion . But actually Arquímedes Puccio turns out to be the tyrannical leader of a bunch of delinquents composed of his spouse and children. As they along with some accomplices carry out undercover activities , consisting in abducting wealthy people , detaining them in his own home , mistreating and torturing them and doing away with them after cashing the ransom.

This is true story of the Puccio Clan, a model evil family , but their tale results to be a perverse stew of lies , violence , kidnapping , murders, pronounced bloodshed, sentimental blood bonding , and with a surprising ending . As an upright family -a model family whose well educated children have a promised and bright future- living their deep respectability , but is nothing but a smokescreen , being really a criminal group . The picture is plenty of thrills , intense drama , violence and thought-provoking issues . The main cast and support cast give magnificent interpretations . Here stands out Guillermo Francella who gives a masterful acting as the allegedly honest and dignified storekeeper by trade, who cares about his five children . As well as Peter Lanzani playing Alejandro Puccio , an admired rugby star .

The motion picture well well produced by EL Deseo S.A. : Agustin and Pedro Almodóvar and professionally directed by Pablo Trapero . His films have covered the most important festivals, receiving critical acclaim and awards . Trapero is one of the biggest creative forces in Latin American Cinema .He has sat on the main Festival juries at Venice, San Sebastian and Locarno, among others . In 2014 he served as President of Un Certain Regard in Cannes. In 2015 the Ministry of Culture of France awarded him Chevallier Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, becoming the first south american director in receiving this honor. In 1999 Trapero directed his first feature, Mundo Grua, which won the Critics Prize at Venice. In 2002, he opened his production company, Matanza Cine, that produces films for fellow filmmakers, as well as his own. His second feature, El Bonaerense (2002) premiered at Cannes, Familia Rodante (2004) at Venice, and Nacido y Criado (2006) at Toronto. In 2008, Leonera, presented in Competition at Cannes, revealed the talent of Martina Gusman, muse, actress and producer of the cineaste. He returned to Cannes with Carancho (2010) and Elefante Blanco (2012), both in Un Certain Regard. Trapero is a good filmmaker , his best film was ¨Carancho¨, dealing with a slow burning exercise in moral decay and his usual actress results to be Martina Gosman who has worked in various film with him , such as : ¨Lion's den¨ , ¨Nacido y Criado¨ , ¨Carancho¨ and ¨Elefante Blanco¨ . This El Clan turns out to be a dramatic and provoking flick , an above average film and Argentina's official submission to Academy Award and it achieved several Prizes of the Argentinean Academy. With this his latest film, The Clan, he won the Silver Lion for Best Director in Venice International Film Festival . Indispensable and essential seeing for Guillermo Francella fans .

Few years after the dictatorship in Argentina by Rafael Videla is overthrown, the remaining members of that military order begin a life of crime, using as an excuse that the Argentinians sold the country and pushed the patriots into catastrophe. At this time in history, is where the story of Arquímides Puccio (Guillermo Franchella) and his family take place. Puccio is an old retired military who starts kidnapping rich youngsters not just for the money, but to satisfy an evil mind that wants suffering. However, his five children, Alejandro (Peter Lanzani), Maguila (Gastón Cocchiarale), Silvia (Giselle Motta), Adriana (Antonia Bengoechea) and Guillermo (Franco Masini), are the ones who end up with the biggest sorrow. This brilliant movie is not a conventional crime thriller, it also explores the psychological illness of all the members in this family caused by the oppressing voice of Puccio's patriarchy. Alejandro, the brilliant and successful eldest child, is the connection between us and the pain inside the characters. The narrative of the story begins by the end, and so it goes interchanging present and future, until they collide in a sublime climax when all the feelings and thoughts of the children explode. Each one of the characters, even though they were real, are so astoundingly designed that you can feel the hate of the father; the indifference of the mother; the rage, the fear and even the love of the children. Another remarkable aspect of this movie is the BSO, featuring an accurate selection between The Kinks, Credence Clearwater Revival, and Argentinian rock of the 80's like Seru Giran and Virus. This is also a portrait of the post-dictatorship era as a fictional interpretation of the feelings of an old retired military, his new war, and his new army: his family.