Very very predictable, including the post credit scene !!!
... View MoreAlthough it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
... View Morea film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
... View MoreA great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.
... View MoreA nice brooding noir kind of mystery thriller. Pretty original and effective in the Spanish language, though it probably would work very well somewhere in the marshy backlands of America. It's just a nice tight story.A couple of small time crooks with a common past make the mistake of doing their "bussiness" within their one very tightknit community. This goes wrong and turns pretty volatile as this outback, marshland community is used to dishing out it's own justice among it's inhabitants. Agustin steps into his brothers shoes and a world that is far more scary and anxious then the one he has desperately tried to flee.A great film with some beautiful photography and nice mounting tension, but as i mentioned, it could have played out almost anywhere. When I watched it I (obviously) thought it was Spanish, I found out after that it's Argentinian. This doesn't really show anywhere. It's in fact a pretty small film, as small as it's tightknit community.Nice, but weird, to see Viggo Mortensen in this role. He plays it perfectly but it's still slightly distracting to me. Supporting cast is good too, particularly "Baby" and 'best' friend "Adrian". The only role that didn't really impress was the wife "Claudia". It was either her acting or the maybe less believable role she has to play, just not entirely convincing.All in all a good low key, slowburning thriller. Bit of mystery, bit of tension and a bit of yearning. Remade, with some gunfights and explosions, this would probably turn into a "Homefront" type of movie, so let's just leave it as it is. 7/10
... View MoreA very thorough character study on the subject of choice and responsibility and undoubtedly an acting test for Mortnensen.A man whose marriage is on the rocks is visited by his terminally ill twin brother who request that he kills him and once the request is granted the surviving brother decides to take his place and his life, especially when the now deceased twin has revealed where he kept his stash of cash.With his wife in the city convinced he is dead, a new life starts for him but in doing so he is unaware that the deceased twin was in serious trouble, thus finding himself seriously exposed.One of the more unusual stories, with a ring of originality to it, with the concepts of option and accountability strongly attached on the plot. Mortensen is brilliant and utterly convincing as a man who evades one life of complication to land onto another one.Although largely below the radar, this is one of the better films of 2013.
... View MoreTodos tenemos un plan (Everybody has a plan) is very slow moving Argentinean film written (with Ana Cohan) and directed by Ana Piterbarg. It seems the primary reason for bringing this story to the screen is to make use of the fact that fine actor and star Viggo Mortensen lived in Argentina for ten years, speaks the language fluently, and probably more than any other actor is able to bring off this tale of a man who assumes the identity of his deceased twin. The story jumps all over the place, leaving the audience confused at the events. It is clear that the title of the movie does not relate to the writer director: the grand plan of the film is missing.The story deals with identical twin brothers whose lives could not be more different: Agustín (played by Mortensen) would appear to have the ideal life. He's a pediatrician with an attractive wife Claudia (Soledad Villamil) living comfortably in Buenos Aires. The couple is in the midst of arranging the adoption of a baby, but the idea of having an infant in the house reminds Augustine that he is not at all comfortable with children, despite his being a successful pediatrician. Agustín reverses his consent at the last minute, and his changed behavior creates a schism that brings to the surface the true sense of lack of fulfillment that Agustín feels with his life. In the midst of a depressive episode Agustín decides to lock himself in a room, Claudia leaves just to retreat from her disappointment and loathing of Agustín. Agustín receives a visit from his estranged twin brother, Pedro (also played by Mortensen), a beekeeper on an island by the river, who reveals he has terminal lung cancer. Pedro asks Agustín to help him die, but when that situation is realized Agustín escapes his obligation-filled existence and assumes his brother's identity, taking up residence in Pedro's rundown shack in Argentina's Tigre Delta island region where the brothers grew up. A romance develops with one of Pedro's much younger bee farm helpers Rosa (Sofía Gala Castaglione), while Agustín becomes caught up in the fallout from Pedro's past criminal affairs with some shady locals: Adrián (Daniel Fanego) is the crime lord responsible for a death and for gambling problems Pedro had and Rubén (Javier Godino) is caught up in the confusion. How the story ends is fragmented and somewhat unsatisfying.Mortensen capably pulls of the difference in the twins and the similarities that arise when he assumes the identity of the deceased Pedro. The cast is very fine, the mood is unrelentingly dark, and the story resembles Swiss cheese - great flavor but far too many holes. Grady Harp
... View MoreViggo Mortensen stars in a film about a man who switches places with his brother. That was all this reviewer knew about this film before seeing it. That was enough to know, to choose to go, and see it.Film is rated 15 in the UK, it is a Fox film, Argentinian, set in Argentina, and it is in Spanish with English subtitles.Film opens with Viggo Mortensen living in a rural setting by the river. His life is hard and harsh. By contrast his brother seems to have a charmed life. They are twins. However this film is not 'Twins'. No mismatched brothers like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Danny DeVito. No laughs either. This is not a comedy, but rather a grim crime drama, with some social comment, and a touch of philosophy.Both twins, both played by Viggo Mortensen, in reality do not have great lives. One is unwell and living in a shack by the river, the other is unhappy with his family life. They meet and a chance to swap places arises. The scenes after the switch are shown from the point of view of the impostor. Like him we know very little and thus always wonder if the act has succeeded or has been suspected.The acting by Viggo Mortensen is superb, he really convinces in his roles and the two brothers act together in a believable way. The way that Viggo Mortensen acts, is a perfect example of a person acting, as someone, who is acting, as someone different, than he is in reality. Of course this must really be second nature for Viggo Mortensen. The first time this reviewer saw him was as 'The stand-up guy' Lalin in 'Carlito's Way'. The second time was in 'A History of Violence'. So this is familiar territory.Familiar too, is the backdrop. Like the recent 'Mud', much of this film is set on the river. However whereas 'Mud' was a story about two boys starting on the road to manhood, this film is about men who were once boys. Whereas 'Mud' was lovingly filmed to show honest hardworking families living off the river, this film is very much a more grim mirror-image of that. 'Mud' was a 12A, whereas this much grittier film, is a 15. As the river dominates the film, we see much to-ing and fro-ing in little motor boats. The weather is not nice. 'Promised Land' seemed to be shot in a cool off-season, rather than cool this seems positively cold. No false Spring here.The movie was filmed well, the scenes with the two brothers seemed real and believable, and as said earlier, the two brothers seemed to interact well together. A lot of films recently, seem to have an awful lot of narration in them, 'Byzantium' is a perfect example of this. By contrast, this film has none of this, none is needed. A memory from the past is used in a subtle way to tell you all you need to know.While praise is due to Viggo Mortensen for his acting, (he also produced), tribute is also due to the rest of the cast. The two females, one playing a girlfriend and the other a betrayed wife, gave excellent performances. The actor playing the childhood friend, gives a powerhouse performance, which dominates, in every scene he is in.There is a 'Touch of Evil' about this film, as well as 'A History of Violence', mostly though this film has a river-theme like 'Mud', which makes them very similar. An interesting quirk of fate has caused two river-themed films to have come out around the same time. Or are we seeing the emergence of a Tales of the Riverbank genre? This is as good as 'Mud', though a little more adult. If you liked that river film, or 'A History of Violence', you will like this. 10/10.
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