Tabloid journalism is the theme of this movie. The news in El Clamor, the Peruvian newspaper that is at the center of the story, wants to entertain its readers by presenting stories in such a way that the average person in the street can identify with what is being reported. Never mind the tragedies behind the stories these items in the paper mean for the families of the crime victims, or other unfortunate people that appear in the pages of the tabloid.
Francisco Lombardi, whose work we have admired in other films before, shows why he is one of the best Peruvian, or even Latin American, directors. "Tinta roja" is the other side of the coin for serious news reporting. This newspaper wants to be on a class by itself by printing and showing in its pages the sensational stories that serves as an escape for the masses, as anyone the average citizen feels lucky being alive after reading about the tragedies in the paper.
Alfonso and Nadia are interns that are assigned to El Clamor in order to fulfill an academic part of their journalism course at the university. Nadia tricks Alfonso in asking to be assigned to the entertainment section and the young man is told to report to the crime desk. This department is dominated by the larger than life Faundez, a legend in Lima for the way he grinds his stories, embellishing them as he goes along. Faundez sees in the young man a rival and gives him a hard time because of the inexperience.
Faundez is a complex character that even his close associates cannot understand. While carrying on with his drinking and womanizing, his own private life is hidden from his colleagues. Alfonso, who has been abandoned by his father at an early age, discovers by chance that Faundez has a son who is mentally challenged. Alfonso and Faundez come to a confrontation at the end of the film as the young reporter writes an expose on his own father, who has been involved in a criminal scheme. The older man reminds Alfonso, at the end, that he rewrote the story out of decency, as he reminds the young man how he had no consideration when he reported Faundez's own tragedy in the pages of El Clamor and showed him no pity, or consideration.
The film's most memorable character, Faundez, the ruthless crime editor, is played with great panache by Gianfranco Brero, who has already collaborated with Mr. Lombardi in other films. Alfonso is portrayed by Giovanni Ciccia, whose take on the intern feels right. The beautiful Lucia Jimenez is seen as Nadia. Yvonne Frayssinet is excellent as Roxana.
"Tinta roja" is a wonderful movie that shows a mature Francisco Lombardi at his best.
