Maybe it's just me, or maybe it was the mood I was in, but I thought this was a wonderful movie. It takes place in a country that's on the verge of collapse (Argentina in 2002). Nobody has any money and frustrated people want to leave. But no one can get his money out of the bank because the government has put a restriction on how much money they can withdraw. People are losing their jobs and their homes, businesses are going bankrupt, and families are falling apart.
The story concerns a man in his forties or early 50s who wants to emigrate. It CAN be done, but it's extremely difficult. He and his wife (or ex-wife-I wasn't sure) no longer live together. Their 14-year-old daughter lives with her mother. His store can't get the necessary stock; people owe him money, but are unable to pay. He used to make money on the weekends playing in a tango bar/restaurant, but the restaurant's business is now so poor that the pay is no longer in cash, but in a few empanadas a night. The movie begins with a female taxi driver (who will lose her job if anyone finds out she doesn't have insurance) running a red light and wrecking his car, which leads to a series of attempts to recover his losses. In a vain hope of replacing the band's singer, the man persuades a former singing star to come out of retirement and join them. Alas, the poor old singer's memory is no longer very good and he has trouble remembering song lyrics. This all sounds like a big downer, but it ends up being a very sweet, wistful, and ultimately wise film. I found myself weeping several times in the movie, but not because of anything particularly sad, but the small moments that illuminated the characters' internal lives. The big ensemble cast were all able to make a strong impression, even in the smallest roles. In a lot of ways, it's Chekhovian. And remember, Chekhov called his plays comedies. I give it a 10.
