Direction: Santiago Mitre
Country: Argentina
Courtroom drama films about real trials frequently follow typical patterns, and Argentina, 1985 falls into that category without adding great innovations. Working from a script he co-wrote with Mariano Llinás (La Flor, 2018), director Santiago Mitre (Paulina, 2015; The Summit, 2017) adopts that familiar structure but depicts this special chapter in the history of Argentina with a clear focus. However, even carrying considerable information about the harrowing military dictatorship - effective from 1976 to 1983 - and the subsequent Trial of the Juntas in 1985, one can tell it was made with crowd entertainment in mind.
Propelled by Ricardo Darin’s strong performance as the prosecutor Julio Strassera, the national hero who sent the worst fascist commanders to jail for crimes against humanity, the film is carried by an urgent necessity of justice and its rousing pro-democracy message. Strassera used the help of a group of inexperienced yet bold lawyers led by Luis Moreno Ocampo (Peter Lanzani), his right-hand assistant.
Considering the heaviness of the topic, Mitre’s approach is light and doesn’t go beyond most Hollywood-style films. The way the film was conventionally shot curtailed the emotional responses it needed to evoke, and we particularly regret the oversimplification of some aspects in the hard mission of these characters. It’s OK to stop by here, but not so much for what it presents visually or narratively. In summary: an unambitious legal drama that doesn't make the message any less true.
