Vanesa Ragone Movies

A man uncovers some long-held secrets when he investigates a murder long thought to be a closed case in this drama from filmmaker Juan Jose Campanella. In the 1970s, Argentina has fallen under the control of a military junta and a fair trial is becoming an increasingly uncommon event in that nation's courts. When a woman is found raped and murdered while her husband is at work, two traveling laborers confess to the crime, but only after suffering a severe beating at the hands of police. Decades later, Benjamin (Ricardo Darin), who has recently retired from the court, decides to write a book about the case, based on his belief that the two men were wrongly convicted. While his close friend Irene (Soledad Villamil), a judge, is wary of Benjamin's plans, a fellow court employee, Sandoval (Guillermo Francella), is eager to help him. A photograph alerts Benjamin to the possibility that Gomez (Javier Godino) may have been the real culprit, but after thirty years finding Gomez and finding conclusive evidence against him is no simple task. And as Irene eventually becomes part of the investigation, Benjamin has to come to terms with his unspoken love for her. El Secreto De Sus Ojos (aka The Secret In Their Eyes) received its North American premiere at the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Two young people learn about love as politics turn their world upside down in this drama from director Ana Diez. After a long and successful career as a soccer player, Xavi (Nicolas Pauls) retires from the game and moves to Spain, where one day to his surprise he happens upon Rosana (Maria Botto), a friend from his childhood in Uruguay. As Xavi and Rosana catch up on what has happened to them over the past thirty years, they flash back to 1973, when young Xavi (Pablo Arnoletti) and his father Manuel (Emilio Gutierrez Caba), a shoemaker, lived down the street from Rosana (Pia Rodriguez). Rosana's father Severgnini (Mauricio Davub) was the local chief of police, and found himself frequently dealing with military authorities as Marxist rebels began plotting an overthrow of Uruguay's leadership. While Manuel is largely apolitical, he has friends who are fighting with the rebels, and when he's warned of an upcoming action at a soccer match, he packs Xavi off to a cabin in the country, and as word is leaked to Severgnini, he sends Rosana off with him. The two youngsters soon find themselves caught in the web of first love, but as a coup throws all of Uruguay into chaos, the simplicity of their stay in the country proves short lived. Paisito (aka Small Country) was an official selection at the 2008 Malaga Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Two sisters separated for the duration of the Argentine dictatorship spanning from 1976 to 1983 reconnect to confront the tragedy of their past in director Julia Solomonoff's reflective drama. It was 1975 when Natalia Levin's (Ingrid Rubio) militant boyfriend Martin (Nicolás Pauls) disappeared from Buenos Aires without a trace. Natalia was also separated from her sister Elena (Valeria Bertuccelli) that same year, but the two are once again drawn together when -- after the dictatorship crumbles -- Natalia travels to Austin, TX, to visit her sister and inquire about an unpublished novel written by her late father. Discovering that the novel is a fact-based account of their family's struggle during the dictatorship, Natalia and her sister are forced to confront the painful memories of the past before they can begin the healing process that will free them of the lingering guilt that accompanies their survival. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide