White Elephant

Argentinian director Pablo Trapero (Lion's Den, Carancho) considers the challenge of keeping the faith in the face of suffering and injustice in this impeccably performed drama that makes effective use of its Buenos Aires locations. The title actually refers to the massive shell of an unfinished hospital building - a real-life monument to Argentina's turbulent political past - which towers over a shantytown that's home to the poverty-stricken flock of a dedicated yet pragmatic priest, played by Ricardo Darín. Caught between the city council, the church hierarchy and the local narcotics barons, he's learned to follow the testing path of diplomacy, but the arrival of Jérémie Renier's big-hearted but impetuous Belgian missionary is to prove the tipping point in various neighbourhood conflicts. Trapero's film does spend rather too long on a low simmer, and never quite ignites as drama, but it certainly offers food for thought in exploring the conundrums involved in trying to make a difference.