Rojo

Wisconsin Premiere • narrative • Argentina,Brazil,Germany,France,The Netherlands • 2018 • DCP • Spanish with English subtitles • 109 MIN

section: New International Cinema

Set in 1970s Argentina, this political thriller begins with flawlessly-executed setup straight out of a classic film noir. Well-respected lawyer Claudio is seated at a restaurant awaiting his wife, when a menacing stranger becomes incensed that Claudio is taking up a table by himself. After dinner, their bizarre altercation unexpectedly escalates when the man is waiting for them outside, By the night's haunting end, Claudio will drive deep into the desert, barreling toward a point of no return. Months later, a Chilean celebrity detective starts poking his nose around in search of the missing stranger. From here, Rojo develops into a cat-and-mouse game performed by two great South American actors, with Dario Grandinetti (Talk to Her, Wild Tales) as Claudio, and Pablo Larraín regular Alfredo Castro as the detective on his trail. Benjamin Naishtat's gripping commentary on a dark chapter of Argentine history won the Best Director, Actor, and Cinematography prizes at the 2018 San Sebastián Film Festival. "Superbly sinister and stylish. Full of unexpected formal flourishes and darkly witty dilemmas… Rojo is a witheringly provocative examination of temporary moral eclipse becoming permanent moral apocalypse" (Variety). (MK)