FILM-FORWARD.COMReviews of Recent Independent, Foreign, & Documentary Films in Theaters and DVD/Home Video
EL BONAERENSE
The title, a pun, refers to a rural resident of the Buenos Aires province, as well as the
Buenos Aires police force. From the very beginning, Zapa (Román), a shaggy-haired, blank-faced
bumpkin, is way over his head. A stooge in a bungled safe-cracking, he is arrested. His
uncle, a former cop, pulls some strings to get his nephew into the police academy in
Buenos Aires, where he is taken under the wing of his uncle's friend. Too old at 32 for
entry, his age is breezily changed. An officer challenges Zapa, "Do you know what
you are getting yourself into?" Zapa answers yes, but clearly he doesn't. Slow to learn, he
is a necessary part of the corrosive system. He's a natural follower, an observer who never
takes the initiative - a perfect patsy for an organization built on favors, where no
questions are asked. Pervading the atmosphere is, not surprisingly, a
machismo attitude - partying officers continuously shoot their guns into the air
to celebrate Christmas. And as Zapa becomes more engulfed, at least by association, in crimes
such as bribery and murder, the film steadily builds momentum. The underlining question
is how much longer can Zapa remain passive. Filmed in dark saturated colors, the
detailed production design looks completely lived in, and the ensemble cast never strikes
a false note. Low budget and technically polished, El Bonaerense is a calm,
simmering satire of a police force that is a power all to itself. Kent Turner
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