Rating:  

Starring: Ricardo Darin, Martina Gusman, Carlos Weber, Jose Luis Arias, Fabio Ronzano, Loren Acuna, Gabriel Almiron, Jose Manuel Espeche.
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Director: Pablo Trapero
Rating: Unrated
Running Time: 107 Mins.
Release Date: February 11, 2011
Home Video Date: June 7, 2011
Box Office: $86 Thousand
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Fine Cut, Ibermedia European Community Program, Instituto Nacional de Cine y Artes Audiovisuales, L90 Producciones, Matanza Cine, Patagonik Film Group, and Strand Releasing.

Written by: Alejandro Fadel, Martin Mauregui, Santiago Mitre, and Pablo Trapero.

How they meet is important – as both, in their own ways, believe that they are helping people at their most needy and vulnerable. Behind the scenes and away from their encounter(s), each harbor secrets that call their integrity into question. Sosa is a principal member of “The Foundation”, a shadowy group of professionals who attempt to make a profit off of the successes of Sosa and others, while Lujan has a secret drug problem that her employment makes all too easy to maintain and, in turn, conceal. They are damaged souls and that they find one another is as much fate as destiny.

Falling in love, Sosa and Lujan play a coy game of cat-and-mouse with the truths they face each and every day. Both are seeking to improve their sketchy path through life – Sosa looks to overcome a malpractice charge and loss of his law license, while Lujan takes more and more shifts and hours to convince herself that she is as good as her profession expects and demands of her.

The screenplay is interesting in its stutters, stops, and surges forward. Secrets are revealed and Sosa and Lujan are drawn together again and again, despite Lujan learning of Sosa’s connections. Pablo Trapero directs the film quite well, adopting noirish tendencies which, at times, remind one of the gritty crime stories of Martin Scorsese’s earlier works. “Carancho”, which translates in English to “vulture”, is unflinching and paced haphazardly, with care given to not just the love story, but the ethical cloud which follows over Sosa and Lujan’s daily decision making.

Trapero and his co-writers paint the film in the ruins of an Argentinian community that looks to have seen more vibrant and fruitful days. Then again, when you see what Sosa and Lujan encounter on a daily or nightly basis, Trapero’s backdrop might be the optimal setting for a world where people’s interactions are focused on collisions – both real and metaphorical in nature.

Well made and featuring two strong lead performances by Darin and Gusman (Trapero’s real-life wife), “Carancho” plays rather melodramatic and at times edges to the precipice of unsavoriness. When taken in from start to finish however, the acting, the atmosphere, the political angles which drive the narrative, and one whopper of an ending, all make “Carancho” a rather intoxicating film experience.

SHOULD I SEE IT?

A uniquely drawn drama with flawed characters that have easily shifting morality is in this skin, an interesting watch. To the credit of Ricardo Darin and Martina Gusman and their strong performances, you never lose interest in their conflicts – both personal and professional, even if they are not the easiest characters to rally around and support.

The film is technically sound and Pablo Trapero does a nice job, along with cinematographer Julian Apezteguia, in framing the film to capture the proper mood and tone.

The film offers a unique and troubling view of the Argentinian health care and legal industries. The film offers some food for thought in that regard.

Those pesky subtitles will make this a dealbreaker for those who avoid foreign films.

If you are adverse to characters who do not have strong moral convictions, then watching these characters routinely engage in behavior which only adds to their problems, will sap interest rather quickly.

The ending will be a puzzler, so if you are interested but like your films wrapped neatly in a nice bow – you will likely feel cheated a bit by what Trapero and his co-writers serve up for you.

Argentina does not come as all that desirable a place to be, so those with ties may take some offense to the political commentary hidden near the surface through all of this.