Jorge Petraglia Movies
- 1996
Those in tune with the complexities of Argentine politics will have the best understanding of the subversive, satirical points made in this off-beat low-budget parable. Those unfamiliar with the country's history and problems, but who have a taste for intellectual and academic filmmaking, will still find much to enjoy. The story is set beneath Buenos Aires, deep within its labyrinthine subway system, and centers on a train containing 30 riders that has mysteriously disappeared (much like political dissidents tend to "vanish" in Argentina). The subway officials are greatly troubled and so call in topographer Daniel Pratt to help them find it. Unfortunately, the tunnel system is so vast and complex, that Pratt must find his mentor Hugo Mistein for help. Unfortunately, he too has disappeared. Fortunately, he left the system plans behind and as Daniel studies them, he comes to the awful realization that the train, which can be heard but not seen, has somehow become trapped in a fourth dimension. His findings attract the attention of local bureaucrats who are too rigid and pragmatic to accept Pratt's outlandish theory. This causes the determined Pratt to board a train that contains an exact replica of Mistein and see for himself exactly where it goes. The film was adapted from A.J. Deutsch's short story "A Subway by Moebius." ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
An unlikely pair of outlaws take to the highway and become criminal folk heroes in this satiric comedy. Jose (Hector Alterio) is a 70-year-old anarchist who deposited $15,000 in a bank 20 years ago and wants to withdraw the money; however, he doesn't have the paperwork, and the bank staff keeps giving him the runaround. So he takes drastic measures: he arrives at the bank one day with a gun, and, pointing the pistol at his head, he announces that he'll blow his brains out if he doesn't get his money. Pedro (Leonardo Sbaraglia), a 23-year-old clerk working at the bank, is unhappy with his job and his life, and he impulsively announces that Jose has taken him hostage; they end up leaving the bank with $500,000, and they hit the road with both cops and reporters following their trail. Jose and Pedro seem like an odd team at first, but friendship and respect grow between them as they travel the backroads, spending some of the money, handing some of it out to poor people along the way, and sending occasional videotaped messages to the media. They also pick up a woman named Ana (Cecilia Dopazo), whose tough demeanor is intimidating but fits the situation perfectly; Pedro soon finds himself attracted to her as she joins in their low-level crime spree. Caballos Salvajes was the debut feature from Argentinean director Marcelo Pineyro, who became one of the most acclaimed young directors in South America on the basis of this and his second film, Cenizas del Paraiso. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Héctor Alterio
- 1986
This politically charged black comedy from Argentina centers on a middle-aged married couple who desperately need a place to stay after the fall of the military government. They end up staying with a self-absorbed sculptor who basically locks them into a Spartan little room. At first the couple accepts the oppressive situation, but in time they rebel and suddenly the sculptor finds himself getting a dose of his own medicine. Unfortunately, the couple's anger gets the best of them and violence ensues. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
This is an emotionally gripping, fictional look at a couple torn apart by the infamous Argentine campaign of killings and torture that sent thousands of accused terrorists to unmarked graves in the mid-and late-'70s. Alicia (Norma Aleandro) and Roberto (Hector Alterio) adopted a little girl (Analia Castro) during this period of governmental terror in Argentina. Alicia has always wondered about the parents of their little girl, a topic her husband has forced her into forgetting as a condition of the adoption -- he alone knows the full story. Thanks to censorship, Alicia -- like others -- is not fully aware of how much killing has gone on until her students at school start complaining that their textbook histories were written by murderers. Add to this a long conversation with a friend who had been in exile after she was tortured by the government, and Alicia starts to do some serious political and personal research on her own. The results reveal the identity of the little girl's dead parents and reveal that Alicia's husband has had a nasty hand in the government repression and dirty dealings with foreign businesses. She also learns the identity of the girl's grandmother. Her next decision will determine what to do with this information. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Héctor Alterio, Norma Aleandro, (more)
- 1975
This story concerns Marilina, a convent-school girl who goes to live with her wealthy school friend's family after the death of her parents. The girlfriend is a bit of a strumpet and is nearly killed by her husband on her wedding night when he discovers that she is pregnant. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marilina Ross, Juan Jose Camero, (more)
