The Secret In Their Eyes - Not So Impressive As I...

(This is probably the most thrilling sequence in the film. Check it out. You wouldn't disagree!)
 (2009) ★★★☆☆

It's like an extended episode of 'Law & Order' or 'The Practice'. This Argentine crime thriller surprisingly knocked out the French 'A Prophet' and Michael Haneke's 'The White Ribbon', and won the 2010's Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. I thought 'The White Ribbon' was going to grab it. I guess it's either too bleak or smart to be appreciated. 'The Secret In Their Eyes' is kind of smart too in terms of storytelling and shooting techniques (The 6-minute single-take of the police trying to track down the murderer in a stadium is really a showoff). It's also kind of bleak when you know it's hard to serve justice in an unjust land.

It tells a story that spans almost 25 years. A story of how justice is supposed to be served basically; of why love has to be so complicated; of how necessary it is to break free from regrets and resentment, and to face the music and not to be trapped in memories. Don't you always feel like there're things you should've done or said, but you didn't? And sometimes you're like very sure that this is something you really want to do; that you really have a choice, the so-called free will, but... do you really think so?

I'm not a professional movie critic here. I know nothing about filmmaking either. I can only tell you how I feel about this movie. It seems to me like a brighter and warmer version of 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'. I, a Hollywood film junkie, haven't seen something like this in quite a while indeed.