Retro Film Review: Ashes of Paradise (Cenizas del paraíso, 1997)
20th Century wasn't very kind to Argentina. That country was afflicted by military dictatorships, political violence and economic ruin. Sad realities of Argentina also served as an inspiration for local film-makers, so most outsiders began to expect Argentine films to be overtly political. 1990s, with democracy and some sort of economic stability being clearly established, led Argentine film-makers to be more subtle in exposing their country's problems. One good example for that could be found in Ashes of Paradise, 1997 thriller-drama directed by Marcelo Pineyro.
The film starts when Costa Makantasis (played by Hector Alterio), respectable federal judge, apparently commits suicide by jumping from the roof of his courthouse. Policemen are sent to notify judge's next of kin and in his house they find body of Ana Muro (played by Leticia Bredice), young woman who had been stabbed to death. Three judge's sons - lawyer Nicolas (played by Daniel Kuzniecka), doctor Pablo (played by Leonardo Sbaraglia) and photographer Alejandro (played by Nicolas Abeles) - separately confess the crime. The murder investigation is given to judge Beatriz Teller (played by Cecilia Roth) who has a difficult task of establishing complex relations between the murder victim and three suspects. Teller discovers that the old Makantasis not only knew woman's father, well-connected businessman Francisco Muro (played by Jorge Marale), but also investigated his links with organised crime.
Young good-looking protagonists and complex melodrama suggest that Ashes of Paradise could be nothing more than compressed telenovela. But Pineyro quickly shows that his film is something completely different. Narrative structure is unconventional. Pineyro and his co-writer Aida Bortnik chose to explain events through flashbacks. This could be very confusing, but Pineyro shows great directing skill and audience won't have problems in following the plot. The acting in the film was very good and the best impression was given by Cecilia Roth in the role of woman torn between pursuing justice and pursuing her own career. Ashes of Paradise is a good film, but far from perfect, because Pineyro occasionally shows irritating tendency to use "artsy" and barely comprehensible shots. The most irritating of them all happens at the end and almost ruins the generally positive impression of the film.
The most interesting thing about Ashes of Paradise is in the way it shows how Argentina shared many problems with other countries in transition from dictatorship into democracy. For Pineyro and Borthink the sad fate of Makantasis brothers in many ways resembles the sad state of newly democratic Argentina - on the surface everything looks wonderful, but beneath Argentines are still burdened with the unresolved issues of their troubled past. The lines between business and organised crime are blurred, police and judiciary are burdened with corruption and even the fascism occasionally rears its ugly head.
Even those who care little about Argentine issues would probably enjoy Ashes of Paradise. Despite some flaws, this is a well- made film that deserves recommendation.
RATING: 6/10 (++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.films.reviews on July 21st 2004)
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