The Accused - Acusada

The Accused follows a young 21-year-old student, Dolores Dreier (Lali Esposito), accused of murdering her best friend at a house party where she was the last one to see her alive. Under virtual house arrest for two and a half years, Dolores becomes increasingly frustrated and angry by the physical limitations imposed on her life by her family.

Set in contemporary suburban Buenos Aires just days away from her trial, which has become a high-profile case intently followed by the Argentine media, Dolores is strictly coached by her lawyer and parents, and her freedom of movement restricted to avoid media attention while preparing for the trial.

This intense drama is clinically shot with cold icy blue tones and intimate camera work that reflect the dark mood of Dolores who is portrayed unsympathetically at times and seems quietly distant as if hiding some unspoken secret.

Lali Esposito as Dolores gives a gripping subdued performance as an embittered teenager preparing for the worst, making her seem less innocent and more ambiguous than her family would like. But she remains a compelling character due to Lali’s empathetic portrayal and the film succeeds in keeping us guessing about her innocence.

Public opinion seems stacked against her as the media scrutinizes her and her upper-class wealthy family. The media circus surrounding the murder case and how the family deals with their daughter’s public perception is the main focus of the film and the financial and psychological toll it takes on the family.

As the day of the trial draws closer, the tension increases as we slowly discover that her father Luis (Leonardo Sbaraglia), has used his considerable wealth to protect his daughter and influence public opinion to defend her.

There is a lot at stake for Luis, his family and his career as the pressure mounts and Dolores becomes more unstable. It eventually becomes too much for her to handle and she decides to take a big risk by going off script and greatly jeopardizing her chances.

Director Gonzalo Tobal skillfully focuses our attention with a stunning mix of darkly alluring cinematography, interesting ambiguous characters, brilliant performances and a captivating story. 

The Accused also touches on modern day issues of cyber bullying, media manipulation and public scrutiny. Dolores’ guilt or innocence is always kept a mystery in the film but it becomes less important whether she has committed the crime or not as the film becomes more about manipulating public opinion to blur the truth.

The media at one point is focused on someone’s claim of a loose wild Puma sighting in the suburban neighborhood and as police investigate, the media attention stokes a frenzy in the public, but whether or not this Puma was ever really seen or not becomes unimportant. The mere possibility is what fuels people’s imagination and becomes a kind of metaphor for the situation Dolores finds herself in.

The Accused is a satisfying and poignant drama well made with an assured hand, perfectly cast and with a stunning visual design making director Gonzalo Tobal one of Argentina’s foremost filmmakers to pay attention to.

JP

Green Book

Green Book is the kind of moving holiday crowd-pleaser endowed with so much charm it’s sure to be an Oscar contender with equally memorable performances. In the current racially charged times, it might also just be for African Americans what PRIDE (2014) was for the LGBTQ, it could melt even the most prejudiced heart.

Directed by Peter Farrelly - Dumb and Dumber (1994), Green Book is a racial justice road movie with lots of humor that hits all the right notes. But don’t think wacky Dumb and Dumber type of buddy comedy. The laughs in this film come straight out of a genuine respect for its characters.

Based on true events set in 1962 America, Viggo Mortensen plays Tony (Lip) Vallelonga, a working-class Italian-American bouncer and con artist at a New York night club with a talent for “persuading people to do what they don’t want to do” and a lot of street smarts.

When the night club he works for closes down for repairs, he applies for a job as a driver for a gifted classical pianist and composer Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) who was a virtuoso performer and traveled all over the US with his trio playing for the country’s wealthiest establishments.

When the record company sends Don Shirley and his trio on a three-month concert tour through the deep South, which was highly segregated in the 60s, Don who happens to be a black musician in America at a time when African Americans were still looked down upon as inferior and dangerous, decides he will need the services of someone who can protect him while also getting him to all his engagements on time.

This unlikely pair and their awkward relationship play like a kind of Oscar and Felix odd couple, but as opposite as they are in every way possible, they also depend on each other for their survival and eventually gain a stronger bond and greater respect for each other.

Viggo Mortensen and Mahershala Ali are perfectly cast and hold the audience completely enthralled. What we learn about these two people while spending time together on the road is often hilarious and heartwarming.

The Green Book of the title is a segregation era motorist travel guide for Black Americans faced with pervasive discrimination while traveling in America. Being refused accommodation and food by white owned businesses was a common dilemma for Blacks in the southern states, the Green Book helped them to find hotels and restaurants friendly to non-whites.

Being a colored person, Don Shirley was often refused entry to whites-only Hotels and restaurants, even at places where he was actually performing, so while Tony could stay and eat wherever he wanted, Don would often have to find other accommodations during their road tour.

The power of Green Book lies in its emotionally uplifting story, its inspirational message of love and friendship, and the way its flawed human characters are treated with humor and dignity without judgement. The closest film I would compare it to is the French hit The Intouchables (2011) in its portrayal of an improbable comradeship and triumph of the human spirit.

Winner of the People’s Choice Award at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival where it had its World Premiere, this is one of the funniest and moving films of the year.

JP