“Argentina, 1985” directed by Santiago Mitre, 2022 - Review

To start with, I was not familiar with the historical events that took place in Argentina in the 80s. I knew the basics and the general consequences but it was never really explored by me. When it comes to “Argentina, 1985” directed by Santiago Mitre, I did not have high expectations, mostly because it is based on a true story. Surprisingly, I have to say that “Argentina,1985” is one of the best “based on true story” films I have seen recently.

Moving on, it is inspired by the true story of Julio Strassera, Luis Moreno Ocampo, and their young legal team of unlikely heroes in their court battle in which, under constant threat and in a race against time to bring justice to the victims of the Military Junta, they dared to prosecute Argentina's bloodiest military dictatorship.

The film realizes that it is a movie. Perhaps it is not something new, but I had a great time watching it. First of all, directing. The way he manages characters and narration in such a way that it is pleasant to watch. From the start, we know who is the bad guy and who is the good guy, and we feel frustrated by what is said on the screen.

Secondly, editing. The way in which the film is edited is phenomenally balanced. There are fast cuts when they need to be, for instance, very important words exchanged between characters, there is time for longer shots, and all are surrounded by a wonderful soundtrack.

The cinematography is great. The way they played with light and managed to present the world and scenery is stunning, especially with a 1.50:1 ratio. It is not spectacular like “Blade Runner”, but compositionally as well as with color grading, it looks like we are in the 80s in Argentina.

The acting is world-class. Perfect cast and development of characters. Especially the main lawyers played by Ricardo Darin and Juan Pedro Lanzani. Great chemistry between them is visible and accomplished.

The story itself is engaging and to say more it is a political drama. Most of the screen time, we spent with lawyers gaining research showing obstacles of the action. The film touches upon interesting themes, regarding politics and law trials. Moreover, the film is emotional. There are a few scenes that really touch your heart.

If to tell something negative, there is a little trouble with pacing, especially in the 2nd act which might be confusing, and the daughter dating potential “spy” is a little unnecessary, or at least it does not lead anywhere, at least for me.

To sum up, I do believe that “Argentina, 1985”, (which as the matter of fact is the outcome of the film, not the actual action as we focus on the previous years for most of the time) is one of the best historical, political drama of recent years.