BENJAMIN NAISHTAT

Bil’s rating (out of 5):  BB.5.

Original title:  Historia del Miedo

Argentina/France/Germany/Uruguay/Qatar, 2014.   Rei Cine, Ecce Films, Vitakuben, Mutante Cine.  Screenplay by Benjamin Naishtat.  Cinematography by Soledad Rodriguez.  Produced by Benjamin Domenach, Santiago Gallelli.  Music by Pedro Irusta.  Production Design by Marina Raggio.  Costume Design by Jam Monti.  Film Editing by Fernando Epstein, Andres Quaranta. 

Latin American films that apply a realist flavour to an examination on class divisions are so standard that at this point you want to tell everyone to work it out while you seek out more explosive fare.  The combination of subtle action with blatant message hasn’t been arthouse cinema news for a while, there are tons of others with long, quiet sequences that demand your concentration and play their political aims at a self-aware hush, so the purpose of watching a movie like this one depends on your experience: if you’ve been here, you’ll get nothing new out of it despite the fact that it has good acting, photography and more than competent direction.  Its meager plot centers around the daily experiences of members of an affluent family and, separately, their servants.  The observations are honest and convincing but break no new ground, making the short running time the film’s most admirable element.

Berlin Film Festival:  In Competition