MUERTE IN BUENOS AIRES/DEATH IN BUENOS AIRES
Argentina, 2014, 90 minutes, Colour.
Demian Bichir, Chino Darin, Carlos, Casella, Monica Antonopulos.
Directed by Natalie Meta.
Death in Buenos Aires is a police investigation and thriller. It uses the atmosphere of the city, police precincts, homes and apartments, gay nightclubs, polo games to create an atmosphere.
The opening is striking, a very long take on the face of the young policeman who moves and reveals a dead body on the bed. There is initial audience suspicion of him. His played by Chino Darin, the son of Argentina’s celebrated actor, Ricardo Darin.
The other central character is Chavez, a police investigator with a good reputation, played by Demian Bichir. The young policeman ingratiates himself with the detective, accompanying him to the nightclubs, to art galleries, saving the detective and his wife when their young son dangerously plays with a gun, ingratiates himself with a gay singer all who is the main suspect for the murder.
While the film is a police investigation, a dead wealthy man with high connections, yet involved in art theft and drug export, is also a portrait of the two central characters, the world-weary detective and his determination to solve the case and the young policeman who is, to say the least, ambiguous.
The ending is sudden, perhaps justifying audience suspicion, but making demands on the audience to explore what happened and the psychology of the young policeman – although there are some final glimpses of him playing polo, the murdered man’s sister in support, explaining the situation briefly – with some stills worth studying during the final credits.
1. Police thriller? Investigation? Gay culture in Buenos Aires?
2. The city settings, police precincts, the streets, chases, stables, nightclubs, art galleries? The musical score?
3. The opening, the long take on the face of Ganso, police, revealing the dead body, playing the music, waiting? Calling the death in? The box of matches, the club? The arrival of Chavez? His reputation, his father, solving crimes? Dolores, like Penelope Cruz chewing gum, her police work? The questioning, the sister arriving, showing the?
4. Chavez’ story, weary, wife and son, neglecting his wife, reading stories to his son, his son and insomnia at six, the episode in the house with the gun and Ganso rescuing the gun? Chavez and Dolores? Chavez in the office, the pressure from the authorities, solving the crime, no information to the media? The supervisors? Going to the nightclub, observing Kevin? And his singing, the performance, the dancers, the brawl? Following the clues? The visit to the art gallery? The stables? The horses in the street? Revelation about the drugs? The polo games, the horses, export?
5. Ganso, his age, at the scene of the crime, audience suspicion of him? His age, charm? Engagement, the fiancee and the dress? His continued presence, at the club, the music, his relationship with Chavez? Ingratiating himself? Ever present, accompanying him, mimicking the gay approach? Rescuing the gun from Chavez’s son? In the office, police support? Dolores? Approaching Kevin, flirting, Kevin’s response? The art gallery, authentic pictures, fakes? Kevin and his contacts, at the polo game? Ganso and his sexual experience with Kevin, Chavez and Dolores watching it on the screen? The issue about the drugs, Chavez going with Kevin disguised as a policeman, Ganso following? The wedding ceremony, his disappearance? With Chavez, the police patrolling the questions?
6. The range of police authorities, the friend of the victim, Chavez and his partner, Dolores and her work?
7. Kevin, singing, the club, friends with Snowflake, the after deals, the polo, flirting with Ganso, the sexual encounter? In prison, going to the horses, the revelation about the drugs? On the horse, his being shot by Ganso, his death?
8. The background of Snowflake, murder victim, the gay culture, friends, art deals, horses, drug deals? In partnership with his sister?
9. The ending, Chavez and the kiss with Ganso, his being shot?
10. The truth about Ganso, in the room, the murder, the link with the sister, his being seen playing polo, the applause of the sister, the solution to the mystery?
11. The impact of the stills during the credits? Revelation about Chavez, Ganso, the mystery?
