El Aura (2005)

Genre: Foreign / Thriller

Directed by: Fabian Bielinski

Cast: Ricardo Darin, Dolores Fonzi, Pablo Cedron

Running time: 138 minutes

This Argentine film tells the story of Espinoza, an epileptic taxidermist with an extraordinary memory and sense of observation. Espinoza particularly loves to fantasize about the ways to commit the perfect crime. While on a hunting trip, he accidently shoots and kills a man. When he realizes that the man he killed was a criminal about to rob an armored truck with a group of men, Espinoza feels like he has found the perfect occasion to make his dream a reality.

I had to give this neo-noir thriller a second chance. On a Friday night, after a long week at work, I tried to watch it. I could not keep up with a foreign movie subtitled in English. The next morning, I started it again. There it was: Loved it.

The pace of El Aura is very slow and deliberate, but the story pulls you in and never lets you go until the end. The acting was good and the whole mood that is set by the director is captivating. I was a bit disappointed by the ending, but, still, I found this film really enjoyable.

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