The Aura

Several years ago Argentine director Fabian Bielinsky made the wonderful film Nine Queens (which was remade in the US as a less satisfying film entitled Criminal). Now Bielinsky's second and, sadly, last film (he died of a heart attack this past summer) has finally made its way into the US. IFC Films has given the film a limited release in theaters and also put it on the movies on demand channel. I was going to see it in the theater but I decided to see it on the movies on demand channel. The pros of seeing it in the theater would be looking at the gorgeous Patagonian scenery (although I could still see the beauty on my television). And you also have to concentrate on the subtitles a bit more on the small screen. The pros of watching it on demand is that I taped it and I have it to keep and can watch it again - which I probably will because there is so much in the film that you have to see more than once.

The marvelous actor Ricardo Darin once again plays the lead (as he did in Nine Queens). Darin's character is Esteban Espinosa, a shy taxidermist who has fantasies about committing the perfect crime by just using his photographic memory. Esteban suffers from epilepsy and each episode is preceded by an aura.

When the film begins we see Esteban lying on the floor during one of his seizures. Shortly thereafter Esteban is in a bank with his friend Sontag (Alejandro Awada) and describes to him his vision of the perfect bank robbery. Sontag decides to ask Esteban to go hunting with him. At first Esteban refuses because he doesn't want to kill animals but he eventually changes his mind and goes on the trip. When Esteban and Sontag arrive at their destination they find that all of the hotels are booked up. They wind up going to an out of the way place owned by a man named Dietrich. But he is nowhere to be found. Instead a surly young man named Julio (Nahuel Perez Biscayart) tells them that they don't rent out rooms. But his sister Diana (Dolores Fonzi), who happens to also be Dietrich's wife, says that she would rent them a room.

I am not going to say another word about the plot. There is a lot going on and you really have to pay attention. But it is worth every minute of your time. I think that The Aura is the best and most intelligent thriller I have seen in a long time. It is very Hitchcockian and just when you think you've got it something comes along to make you change your mind. Darin's acting is superb. He is silent for much of the time and has to convey his thoughts and emotions through his face and he does this very well. The above mentioned actors are all very good as are Pablo Cedron as Sosa and Jorge D'Elia as Urien (two criminals that play important roles in the story). I was also impressed with Eva who plays the wolf/dog hybrid - and yes she really has quite an important role in the film. The cinematography by Checco Varese is beautiful and the original music by Lucio Godoy is haunting. I have my own interpretation of what the film was all about which may not be right (and I also have an alternative view as well). I hope to be able to discuss this film when I find other people that have seen it.

Whether you see this film in the theater, on the movies on demand channel or wait for the DVD doesn't matter. Just see it. You will not be sorry that you did. As happy as I am that I finally saw this film (I wanted to see it for a long time) I am also sad because it makes me think of all the terrific films that Fabian Bielinsky would have made if had lived to a ripe old age.