must see for documentary fans

sire021

just seen this last night at the Chicago International Film Festival.. and a day later I am still thinking about it, needless to say I am deeply moved by this piece (digression: seldom nowadays)

the movie is very eloquently done... the pacing is perfect in my view. it held me in suspense even considering that I was familiar with the story. I'm not going to say much about the progression of the story or the narrative, but I will say that I was utterly engaged throughout the entire display. I will attribute this to extremely intelligent and diligently thought out craft of the director/writer... having said this, and not taking anything away from the movie makers, the story basically wrote itself... what a truly remarkable and deep story about a highly intelligent individual facing ultimate desperation... if you want to see a portrait of life being stranger than fiction, look no more... go see this movie if you can; look into this significant story for it will possibly open the door for you and have you expand on what you think you know about right and wrong

lastly, since I wasn't able to direct any questions towards the very available director last night, I would like to raise one issue that I have with the movie: I felt that the story was personalized to such an extent that the social aspect was muted... I've seen this movie in such a way that it had me take away qualms with the critical commentary of a problem that can be applied to much much bigger issues beyond the current matters in the small country of Guatemala (which is in my view a smart and a grand approach)... but my issue is, this was never stressed in the movie...which left me siting there alone with my thoughts that ultimately Rodrigo was a man that in his death, gave with one hand and took away with the other... it can be argued that any person of any power in all of our societies is faced with the same "dilemma" sooner or later... but in this light, the complex connection between a human and a society is too often overlooked

score /10

sire021 16 October 2013

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw2888305/