Alternate Best Actor 2009: Ricardo Darín in The Secret in Their Eyes

Ricardo Darín did not receive an Oscar nomination for portraying Benjamín Espósito in The Secret in Their Eyes. 

The Secret in Their Eyes follows the investigation of a rape and murder of a woman in Argentina. 

Finally getting one of the most famous Argentinian actors Ricardo Darín, in a leading role, in a role that is very much a showcase for him, though in a rather low-key way. Because as much as this film seems like a murder mystery from its description it is so much more than that, as it covers a lot of ground in terms of character and story, but also in tone. An approach that can be a risk, as inconsistencies are always possible, but one that this film pulls off rather magnificently. One of the reasons for this success is Darín in the lead role, who has a very easygoing style as a performer. He isn't someone who tries to force his brilliance on the viewer, rather he takes kind of a "they'll come to me" approach, which works great for the character of Benjamin here. A character who we see earliest, chronologically, just working as the judiciary in Argentina as he would any sort of job. And there is a very casual manner that makes Benjamin pretty immediately likable, and charming, though again not as someone who is trying to force anyone to love him, which in a way is one of the problems that I will get to, a problem for Benjamin by the way not the viewer. 

An essential facet of a film that allows for a wandering tone is that it provides the essential stakes and that those stakes are consistent across the board. When we first see the crime scene of the woman, Liliana, brutally murdered, Darín's reaction is that of sincere disbelief at the sight and shows how clearly the image impacts Benjamin. Perhaps even more impactful are his moments early on with Ricardo Morales (Pablo Rago) the husband of Liliana, who deeply loved his wife and is heartbroken over her loss. Darín's wonderful in the scenes with Rago because of really how he often takes the side of the scenes in a way, and shows in these moments of Benjamin just appreciating the gravity of the man's loss. Darín finds in his eyes, fittingly, such a potent sense of empathy in every moment that Rago's speaking. Darín doesn't simply listen, you see the way Benjamin is truly taking in the grief of the man, and basically being worn down by it himself. Particularly as he even sees that Morales begins to dutifully wait at a train station just thinking he might spot the killer at some point. Darín is very moving by showing the way that this undiluted expression of love and persistence impacts Benjamin almost as deeply. It is again in just the quiet ease of Darín's work that makes it so powerful because you just see the man recognizing, taking it in, and being moved by it himself. 

That basis is consistent within Darín's performance, and never something that he plays with. However, that isn't to say he doesn't play with things around otherwise including the investigation itself, where he makes most of it with his often drunken, yet insightful, coworker Pablo (Guillermo Fracello). These two have just great chemistry together and make for a pair of investigators not based on conflict but rather camaraderie. Something that just simply works here and the two are so much fun together, includes when Pablo often encourages Benjamin to skirt outside the confines of the law just a bit in their investigation. Darín's a great straight man to Fracello's flamboyance, as you see in his interactions with him firstly just the great sense of friendship between the two, he brings the right sense of a slight exasperation towards some of his friend's antics, yet there is always a smile that Darín seems to be holding back for Benjamin, as he makes it clear that Benjamin loves some of the mess that Pablo gets him into, but more important he also just loves Pablo. Together though you see them work the case, and in some moments, such as sloppily sneaking into a house, the two are hilarious together with Fracello showing Pablo going in headfirst and Darín being pitch-perfect in his less-than-certain reactions at seeing where his somewhat impulsive friend takes him.

Irene Menéndez Hastings (Soledad Villamil) is the last essential relationship we see throughout the film who is the new chief of Benjamin and Pablo's department. We see even in flashback to a flashback, the first time that Benjamin even sees Irene, and Darín's reaction is perfection in showing just how instantly Benjamin is infatuated with her at their initial encounter. Darín is great at playing the shyness of Benjamin towards her, as someone who clearly loves her, but can't quite get there to say it. There is a playfulness that Darín brings in these moments that makes Benjamin particularly endearing early on and manages to sell the sort of state of arrested development in the relationship. The relationship is more complicated than just Darín's affection for her, as Irene ends up being a bit of a moderator between herself, Pablo, and Benjamin in the investigation. And as much as Benjamin's in love with her you, get the right sense of how she's also the "mom" of the office, in the moments of a bit of petulance in their investigation methods, which again brings some natural low-key comedy to the film that totally works, but also gives you a real sense of camaraderie between the three. There is a sense of fun between them that the performers make so natural, that it never feels out of place with the severity of the investigation. 

And I suppose I should note SPOILERS from here on out, as this film is a great one, well worth watching, and where the final takes itself to is truly remarkable. When they finally track down the killer one can see the success of manuevring the tone because it feels natural when Benjamin and Irene very seriously attempt to interrogate, the vicious Gómez, who they only have relatively weak evidence. Darín is as convincing in portraying the intensity in this moment as he was in the levity of others as he tries to prod the man to admit to his crime before Irene takes over using reverse psychology to cause the man to finally lash out and even attack here, and openly admit to committing the crime. It would seem they were successful, if not for the fact that the man gets quickly released, not due to lack of evidence, but rather the government finds use of him as a government hitman. The scene of Irene and Benjamin confronting the corrupt official who allowed his release is exceptional work from Darín in presenting the undercurrent of rage and distress, that slowly moves towards anxiety as the government official not only ignores the request but also taunts them with their powerlessness with this issue. Worse even that soon afterward government thugs murder Pablo unexpectedly, which is a heartbreaking scene through Darín's devastating reaction to the moment that delivers the horror and loss of the moment so viscerally. Leaving Benjamin to essentially go into exile, and leaving Irene behind, who is protected via family name. Their goodbye though is exceptional work, because they don't verbally declare their love, but both performers just say in every other reaction. That also brings such a sense of grief of the loss of Pablo, but also the sense of them both deciding to give up in searching for justice.

That would be enough for Darín to have delivered a great performance, but there is a whole aspect that I haven't gotten to, which is the film takes place at two different times. The second time frame is decades later when both Irene and Benjamin have been married to other people and divorced, however, Benjamin has not moved on from the crime. These scenes are interwoven throughout, and Darín's performance is excellent in conveying the character, not in an overt physical manner, though he is more reserved, but rather through his expression of the man who is always slightly haunted by the crime over the years. It isn't an overt desperation he depicts, but rather this quiet fixation of basically a memory he can't forget or ignore. Darín projects it powerfully as this kind of broken nostalgia as it is a most essential memory for him, even while being one of that of tragedy. Darín's delivery of the moments of describing his wish to document the crime through a book, or try to find where the man disappeared to, he makes so powerful actually through the subtle nuance of that fixation. He presents as the older man now just having to live with it, but can't move from it.  And we see him retracing the steps revisiting Irene, and their chemistry is again great though very different from the other scenes, as we see this kind of understanding between the two, but also the sense of the loss of years as they look at one another. It is less playful but still the sense of connection is unquestionable. And in Darín's work, we see the man seeking catharsis, of any kind from the past, and where that leads is unexpected. And part of that is just from himself, where he reveals how he envisions Pablo's death, as his friend having sacrificed himself or him. Where Darín delivers this choice of memory, in a surprisingly poignant way, as the man finding some sense of love, within an overt tragedy. However when discovering the truth of the main mystery we don't see Darín boast, or brag in Benjamin's discovery but there is a sense of a profound closure in his discovery of the truth. And albeit briefly, the man afterward we see more at comfort and more at ease, to be able to finally end the film, where he should be in stating his fundamental truth to Irene. And in this, Darín gives a great performance, one of heartbreaking loss, one of rich romance, one of the dogged then haunted investigator, and even one of the kind of hapless investigator. There isn't a side to the film or Benjamin that Darín reveals though that doesn't feel honest, and in turn, helps to create such a variety and such a tremendous power in the journey of this film.