Eduardo Pavlovsky Movies

Fernando E. Solanas directed this Argentine-French-Italian-German drama with allegorical reflections of Argentina's past history. The film is divided into four chapters ("The Mirror," "The Waiting Men," "Oblivion," "Howls") with subchapters ("Punishments," "Rewards," "Obstinacy"). A black cloud brings 1600 days of rain to Buenos Aires, while traffic and pedestrians move backwards. Aging actor Max (Eduardo Pavlovsky) runs the Mirror Theater in a former fish market, but lack of funding means a possible demolition. Max is attracted to Brazilian dancer Fulo (Angela Correa), who worries about her daughter back home. Amid political corruption and police brutality, Max's elderly colleague Enrique leads a protest for unpaid old-age pensions. The pensioners succeed in their demands, only to learn from a government official that no money is available to pay them. Shown in competition at the 1998 Venice Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

This well-acted psychological drama was wildly popular in its native Argentina, in part because it was based on the best-selling novel Heroina by Emilio Rodrigue. With a dispassionate, measured tone, it tells the story of a well-to-do girl, Penny (Graciela Borges), who seeks psychiatric help after making a suicide attempt. She has made attempts to socialize with working-class people rather than her own peer-group but is unable to break through to them. Perhaps it is her own emotional stiffness. Things become much more lively for her once she gets to the analyst's couch. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi