Un oso rojo

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 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

The pulpier elements in contemporary Argentinian cinema (eg, the brilliant "Nueve reinas" with its Mametesque antics) meet more kitchen sink oriented films such as "La ciénaga" and "Mundo grúa" - and the effect is quite smashing. Director Israel Adrían Caetano tells us the story of a man who lost everything - but after seven years of prison, Oso ('bear') wants to come back to his wife and their young daughter Alicia. However, Natalia, his wife, is now living with a new man... what does Oso, the criminal, do? The answer is surprising, and no spoilers shall be contained in this short review. With its postmodernist mix of action genres (western especially) and kitchen sink drama, Caetano and his brilliant actors and actresses have created a film that is both socially aware and entertaining.

In Un Oso Rojo, Adrian Caetano creates a character who can be very destructive and can only be tamed down by his wife and daughter. Oso is a family man whose lifestyle drove him right to prison for a number of years. Upon his return to the outside world, he finds himself wanting revenge from a boss and a renewed relationship with his daughter Alicia. Although these desires are not precisely in line with each other, the director does a great job at capturing the character's two sides, the tender hearted dad and the killing machine. Caetano definitely reaches the hearts of the audience by creating the image of a tough man who has lived a life of mistakes but yet is able to redirect his future. The love for one's family is a major theme which comes about from this character, as it is the force which influences Oso the most when it comes to making the right choices for the right reasons.

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.