Azor

Very engaging slow-burner that somehow never bursts into flame. The only flaw I find in this movie, is that the ending seems not to have been given too much thought.

But it presents a very unique quality: a perfect depiction of tension. There is tension everywhere, in every scene, in every character, throughout the whole movie. The masterfully crafted soundtrack does a major contribution there. This is a movie where there is no display of action. Every thing is as silent as the atrocities that we know for a fact were being committed while we watch these low voice conversations between wealthy people, bankers, clergy, all the way to the final "deal with the devil" moment.

The title, 'Azor' is translated as a code for, 'Be quiet'. The main characters rarely venture beyond the act of listening as they navigate through a maze of pretense and subterfuge that covers a world of arrogance, oppression and evil.

Fabrizio Rongione and Stephanie Cleau as the husband and wife strategize their pathway among the principals of a financial and political junta. Horrible crimes have been committed and an atmosphere of fear laps at the edges of every conversation. The particulars are never mentioned and studiously avoided. In the end we see that everyone who plays a part is fully complicit in a ruthless pursuit of power and greed.

A period piece that visually could have been made in the period that it portrays, the movie drifts from scene to scene, conversation and conversation in what feels like a dream. What is real is never spoken and everything important is hidden behind a curtain of appearance and language.

Sophisticated banker "De Wiel" (Fabrizio Rongione) heads from his base in Geneva to Buenos Aires to take over from his colleague who has mysteriously vanished. Now this story is set in the 1980s so his destination is still under the slightly anachronistic control of a military junta and the Catholic church. Rumours are abounding about the nature of the role his colleague had in some murky financial dealings and so aside from appeasing their clients, he is to try and find out just what happened to "Kies". Upon arrival he is quickly exposed to the corruption that prevails at just about every level of society and his job is to make them as much money a possible - regardless of the ethics or risks of any such transactions, whilst maintaining an high degree of discretion (aka secrecy). I could have done with just a little more pace from director Andreas Fontana here, but what he does provide is quite a compellingly presented assessment of just how venally menacing things were. His "associates" realising that the writing might be on the wall for them desperately trying to liquidate assets which may, or probably did not, belong to them to insulate themselves in an haven abroad. His encounters are not just with the upper class, but all with all strata of a community that had spent it's life turning a blind eye or being passively complicit. The photography works well with the limited amounts of dialogue, and this is quite an effective psychological thriller that leaves us to do much of the heavy lifting - and judging - ourselves.

This has been on my MUBI watchlist for such a long time that I've forgotten why it intrigued me in the first place. Perhaps a glowing review in Sight and Sound? Who knows?

In any case, I suggest that you don't waste your time, unless slow-moving, talky, atmospheric drama is your thing. Sure, there are nasty themes bubbling under but I never quite worked out what the director was trying to say about all of this, beyond the obvious. (Different country and industry, but for me the TV series "Magnifica 70" handled the compromises inherent in living with a junta much more eloquently...)

For a debut feature, it's quite nicely shot but I'd definitely put it in the "mood piece" category rather than anything else.

Love the 80's style of movie in a new jacket, but making it nothing short as it maybe has the old camera style of sceneiers even the actors behave. The amount of actors playing is alot even though not all actors are high quality but they do lean towards a natural playing instead of reading the script. Many blank sceniers that feel empty but they hold a very delicated information, what is not much but do help the story building.

The acting is done nicely, the main player is good, the rest could step a bit more up.

They drag a lot in the movie and hard to follow where they want to go with the movie. Even though we know a bit how it will go as audience, but so many options.

The scenes are not low budget made including the clothing and everything around it pulls you really back to the 80's of Argentina. Perfect done. I do need to say they limited the amount of variables like people and decoration, to not misstep because during the pool party I have the feeling they kinda fell in the water. Feeling C level quality.

The camera work is basic also the transaction of scenes, this seems more like the 90's where they highlight so much as if the audience is stupid and every scene feels like cut out and modified and placed back into the movie again.