Argentina 1985 – 8.5

A deft combination of the personal and political, pathos and humor, this historical drama was held together, above all, by Ricardo Darin’s remarkably human portrayal of Julio Strasseras, tasked with prosecuting the Argentine military junta for its decade of torture and disappearances. In composition and appeal his family echoed Tony Soprano’s, and the film was just as good in its domestic scenes as in the stories of the young lawyers and torture victims that led to the courtroom finale. Although the ending was never in doubt (either due to reviews or actual Argentine history), the suspense never flagged and–a rarity in recent moviegoing–we felt exhilarated as we departed the theater.