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Reviews
El aura (2005)
Nice script, awful acting
I can't deny I had great expectations regarding this movie after seeing Bielinsky masterpiece "Nueve Reinas", so I might be a little biased.
First, Ricardo Darín performance is totally disappointing. Even when Esteban Espinosa is a phlegmatic and introverted taxidermist, one could expect a hint of consternation after he accidentally kills a man; instead, he acts as if he had lost his car's keys. And the rest of the cast (save Dolores Fonzi) is even worse.
Second, the dialogs are absolutely weak. Maybe that contributed to the poor performances, pushing the actors to think "How can I say this unrealistic and extemporaneous line without looking stupid?".
On the bright side: Even when the pace is too slow (my wife was bored to death during the whole movie), it kept my attention almost all the time, mostly due to a clever plot. It's clearly the kind of pace that sets you in the right mood for this movie. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but it's not like it wasted a masterpiece, anyway.
Maybe if I dared to watch it a second time with less expectations, now that I know it's not remotely close to "Nueve Reinas", I could find it to be good. In fact, if I hadn't watched "Nueve Reinas" I could end up thinking it's the best Argentinian movie ever, which says more about Argentinian cinema than this film in particular.
The Hunted (2003)
A waste of big names
A poor remake of First Blood. Despite being great actors, Tommy Lee Jones and Benicio del Toro don't quite fit their roles. Due to a weak plot, you never get to sympathize with any of the characters: it is never clear if Hallam had been turned in to the enemy by the government or he's just a psycho, and it is also unclear why Bonham never answered Hallam's letters and goes after his former pupil so viciously until he finally kills him (you wonder how, being Hallam an impressive commando who just got back from his last mission and being Bonham an old man that has retired years ago; he even goes after him totally unarmed, go figure, and he also looks like he really needs a lot of workout).
On the other hand, nice art direction (Beatriz Kerti) and film editing (Augie Hess).