Rojo

Some civilised looting and a showdown in a restaurant set the tone in Benjamin Naishtat's third feature, which warns viewers about the enduring dangers of the socio-political mindset that prompted Argentina's 1976 coup. Lawyer Claudio (Darío Grandinetti) has his hands full negotiating a shady property deal with a venal crony (Claudio Martinez Bel), while also playing happy families with his wife (Andrea Frigerio) and daughter (Laura Grandinetti). But his situation becomes increasingly complicated when a Chilean detective (Alfredo Castro) arrives to investigate the disappearance of a man (Diego Cremonesi) who had accused Claudio and his fellow diners of being Nazis. Complete with semi-ridiculous subplots and meticulously staged set-pieces - such as the eclipse that bathes the action in symbolic red light - this is a vicious satire on bourgeois complacency that bears the influence of Luis Buñuel, Claude Chabrol and Alejandro Jodorowsky. The ensemble excels, but it's Naishtat's script and direction that most chillingly convey the ease with which normality can turn to nightmare.