El Banquete is not a regular movie to watch at the Gaumont. At first it seems as if you are watching a thriller, a bit of customs mixed with the most recent corruption scandals and some intrigue and comedy.
But then, suddenly, the game changes.
Tarantino distinguishes between films developing from a situation that arises in the first 20 minutes
and those telling a story that unfolds. El Banquete is among this last group. If we take the first
frame and the last, there is almost nothing in common between the two, starting with genre.
It seems that the director, in addition to entertaining us for an hour and a half (something that
is always welcome), wants to leave a message (something not so welcome): reality, in El
Banquete, rottens until it becomes absurd: the absurd we read every day in the newspapers.
In short: El Banquete is a rare film by the local production standards: it tells an
unexpected and original story, and it does so with grace, skill and good cinematography. The
performances must be highlighted, especially Goity's and Emiliano Carrazone's, not forgetting
the surprising debut of Agustina Fernández Cambra. In the debt we must note the author's
already observed desire to leave us a lesson and certain inconsistencies in the register. We must make a point in the narrative of the director, who is playing with the audience's surprise in the final outcome.
In a word: recommended.
