Rating: B
Dir: Cristian Tapia Marchiori
Star: Sergio Podeley, Matías Desiderio, Julieta Díaz, Ramiro Blas
This Argentinian film has a couple of gimmicks. One is that it unfolds in real time on the very mean streets of Isla Maciel. That’s a poverty-stricken dockland area, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, with a ferocious reputation for crime and violence. According to one site, the only time peace is guaranteed to break out is on Sunday, when the local football team play. Oh, yeah. As if that wasn’t tricky enough, the movie takes place in what appears to be a single unbroken take. Though I dunno: if Isla Maciel is as bad as it’s supposed to be, getting in and out, after an crisp hour and twenty minutes is probably in everyone’s best interests.
It follows Pablo (Podeley), known as El Galgo – the greyhound. Recently out of jail, he is now trying to fit back into the neighbourhood, and accepts a job from old associate Lalo (Desiderio) to do a drive-by shooting. [The film’s title translates as ‘Gunman’] Except, he discovers that the target is actually the local boss, La Madrina (Díaz), and he has been set up as the patsy in her assassination. He’s now a hunted man by La Madrina’s underlings. But El Galgo has also become an unexpected hero to the locals, led by Nelson (Blas) and his daughter. They welcome the unexpected opportunity he has given them to flush the drug dealers and other criminal types out of the area.
It is, you will not be surprised to hear, ferociously kinetic, and plays out like an extended mission in Grand Theft Auto. It begins with El Galgo robbing a corner store, barely escaping the owner’s armed response, then getting caught by the cops. Who are more interested in rolling their prisoner for the proceeds, than arresting him. That sets the stage nicely, telling us there will be no outside help available for anyone here. Thereafter, there are points where the single take might be interrupted (the director says there are four). However, there are also points where you’re left to wonder how the makers maintained the illusion, the camera flowing impressively into and out of cars, as well as up and over fences, as El Galgo tries to find some place to catch his breath.
It’s among the most action-packed I’ve seen in the “one take movie” genre. One Shot and its sequel would have more bullets, but were slightly less seamless. The style is seemingly popular among Latin American film-makers: we previously covered PVC-1 and, over on GWG, Rendez-vous. This is likely more technically impressive, although the plotting here is sometimes slightly too obvious. There’s less room for actual acting as well, beyond the obvious need for physicality from Podeley – and, likely more so, the guy running beside him, holding the camera. Yet it remains highly engrossing, with some unexpected twists all the way to the very end. Though we will not be visiting Isla Maciel, any time soon.