IL PROFUGO/THE INTRUDER
Argentina, 2020, 91 minutes, Colour.
Erica Reeve us, Daniel Hendler, Cecilia Roth, Nahuel Peres Biscayart, Agustin Rittano.
Directed by Natalia Meta.
A drama with touches of horror from Argentina. The film focuses on a middle-aged woman, Ines, involved in dubbing horror films into Spanish, in a testy relationship with her mother, teaming up with a boyfriend. But, we discover she has many dreams. Is apprehensive. Dreams that a flight attendant on the plane is offering to murder her boyfriend. And when they explore deep caves, she is terrified, over-terrified by the bats.
The title refers to, as an expert explains, sounds which can invade a person’s consciousness and being.
Ines also sings in a choir with intruder repercussions for her voice. It also affects her as she goes through her dubbing. It also has some dire violent consequences with her boyfriend and a mystery with the organ tuner who falls in love with her.
She seeks psychological help. Is both helped and criticised by her mother. Another actress explains her situation. And the dubbing expert also becomes involved in helping her to return to normal.
This review, perhaps, is clearer in its explanation of some of the events and characters than in the actual film itself.
1. Title? The sounds and noises? The effect on people? Techniques to be rid of them?
2. The Argentinian setting, apartments, hotels, the concert hall? The dubbing studios? The caves, the holiday hotel? The musical score? The classic performances? The women singing?
3. Ines’s story? Her age, background, her relationship with her mother, her mother intruding? Her relationship with Leopoldo? In the plane, her dreams and nerves, the flight attendant offering to kill? In the cave, the bats and her fear? In the hotel, Leopoldo irritating? Locking him out? Finding him dead? The introduction to the theme of noise, the intruders?
4. Her work as a dubbing actor, the horror films, her performances, Nelson and the technology? The atmosphere of horror? Her singing in the choir, her voice, the conductor, moving her?
5. At the dubbing studio, the intruding sounds, Nelson and his concern, those involved with the technology? Ines and her concern? The oral effects? The actress, her theory of intruders, the effect on Ines?
6. The range of dreams, the horror touches, her explanations? The discussion with the scientists, her being tested?
7. The lying down with Nelson? His disappearance? The effect on her? The double appearance of her mother and her not-mother? Consulting the actress who could not help?
8. The organ, Albert, his friendship, trying to help, younger than Ines, the organ playing, her suspicions, and intruder?
9. Getting rid of the intruders, performing in the choir, seemingly healed, the exuberance of the final song?
10. Enigmatic? Puzzle? For audiences to solve?
