The Secret in Their Eyes

Nicely crafted crime drama about a former criminal court employee who re-opens a decades old murder case he never forgot.  Film maintains the viewers attention as it frequently flashbacks to 1974, then returns to 1999, when the movie is set.  Detailed plot deftly blends such disparate elements as an unresolved murder,  political corruption, and an unrequited love affair, into a seamless story that gradually seduces the viewer’s attention.  Stunning cinematography by Félix Monti is also worth mentioning.  One beautifully photographed sequence at El Monumental soccer stadium in Buenos Aires starts out overhead, zooms into the stands, ultimately becoming a handheld shot once a suspect gives chase.  At 127 min, the investigation occasionally succumbs to Law & Order-like monotony.  In truth, Argentine director Juan José Campanellahas has actually directed some episodes of the American TV series.  However,  the action eventually climaxes to a satisfying conclusion.