La noche mágica

Seen at 2021 Fribourg International Film Festival, section "International Competition"

A quiet Christmas evening is interrupted by a thief (Diego Peretti) who invades privacy of residents of a luxurious villa in Buenos Aires. Instead of robbing them and leaving, he starts digging into their lives and starts to uncover many hidden and buried truths. The evening turns into a hostage situation in which residents and their little daughter, who mistakes the thief for Santa Claus, are pushed to their limits.

The film mixes well several genres of drama, dark comedy and satire, and touches many controversial topics of our modern society. The director created an atmosphere of claustrophobia, as the whole story takes place within few hours and in the same place. Actress Natalia Oreiro created a character that is cold, submissive and lifeless, however, the stranger in her house awakens her lost self.

The movie has absolutely fantastic soundtrack, music is composed by Pablo Borghi and the score intensifies each scene and creates moments full of tension, wonder or even surrealism. The tension is mixed with humor, often very dark one, which pushes viewers to edges of their seats.

"La Noche Mágica" represents the highest Argentinean cinematography with solid screenwriting, acting, direction and score.

Cause it tells it very very good. And just let me add how much i admire the superb caracter actors in this quirky christmas movie.

Anybody whos written a gift list and sent it to santa, will know the importance of those wishes . And its indeed a santa that fulfills the little girls hopes and wishes, through love, violence, witt and magic, that only a christmas night break in burglar can do.

The film has a wonderful flow of visuals and auditorial heartbeat like rythm of sniper shots, and when the ''home alone'' feel has arrived you become like the child yourself, guessing and speculating what will happen next.

Its an unusual x-mas treat for you ,if youll let it. It handles a lot of topics and issues connected to the ''family'' consept, and i guaratee that you will have a good laugh and loads of giggles. The caracter acts, especially by nicolas done by diego peretti is award worthy.

Just mention that this is not an ''all family'' entertainment, there are violence that you wont show a 6yr old, but for all us grumpy old ones its a gold nugget to start the navidad in a felizious way.. a recommend pero...

La Noche Magica / Bad Christmas is dark comedy that flirts with tenderness, violence and tragedy at the same time. In Christmas Eve, a thief invades a high class house in Buenos Aires; taking hostage a trophy wife, her lover and her husband.

When the thief is about to leave he founds the young daughter of the couple who mistake him with Santa Claus and give him a letter with her wishes. After reading it, he decides to stay and try to grant the kid 's wishes; but slowly realize that things are far darker than it looks and some family members secrets start to unravel. Basically nobody is as good as it seems.

The movie is unexpected in many ways. There are lots of cruelty, class struggle and hints of pedophilia; and even worse ignoring the abuse happening. Sometimes a criminal can be better than apparently honest person.

Acting is quite good and restrained. Natalia Oreiro is cold and lifeless woman. Incapable to accept (and much less confront) her own situation.

Esteban Bigliardi is outstanding as the rich authoritarian husband who as events unravel accepts his own sins. His metamorphosis is quite credible (but revealing more will kill the surprise ending).

Diego Peretti is. Excellent; as a criminal that can be polite but has no problem to torture or kill if he deem it necessary.

Is not an easy movie to watch. People are kill, violence is present and some themes are unsettling; but it is worth a view.

I expected this to be a "parasite-type" movie, where class struggles are portrayed in a dark comedy way. It actually was just a dark comedy, not very determined to make fun of society, just whacky situations. There wasn't much tension, as no character ever semt to be in danger, you always knew that nothing was gonna happen to them. Even if the never is any tension, at least the comedy parts are funny. Right? No. The dad in the movie always had the same things to say, i guess it can be funny at first, but then it becomes tedious. The gay character could be funny, but he didn't get much lines. The mother character was always serious, never acted crazy, so no way she could be funny. The criminal character was supposed to be threatening I guess, so he couldn't be allowed to be too funny.

In the end, the movie should have been a lot more exaggerated if it wanted to be funny. But the acting was too toned down.