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Features: Spanish
Editor's Note
Director Robert Duvall (THE APOSTLE) weaves the disparate worlds of murder and dance in this quirky and sometimes impressionistic comedy drama. John (Robert Duvall), an old-school Coney Island-area hit man, is offered a lucrative job in Argentina. He doesn't really want to take it, and his reluctance to leave his beloved stepdaughter Jenny (Katherine Micheaux Miller) and miss her birthday party fuels his obstinacy. But, assured he will be back in time, he takes the job. Once in Buenos Aries, the assassination plot begins to unfold, then sputter, and finally falls apart as the target fails to show up. Needless to say, John misses Jenny's big day, and to get his mind off of things, he catches a traditional Argentinean tango performance. With a reverence for American dance, John is totally blown away by this thrillingly expressive form, and infiltrates the tango circuit through Manuela (Luciana Pedraza), a glowing but modest partner. She and her sister escort John through the history and motion that is tango, while in the meantime the assassination plot picks back up as the target finally returns to Buenos Aries. Much like the dance it depicts, the film navigates between one world of murderous intrigue and conspiracy, and the other of sensual elegance and high-art aesthetics. Duvall also bridges the gulf between these worlds with an inimitable performance.
| Technical Info
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Release Information
|  | Studio: MGM |
| Release Date: 12/9/2003 |
| Running Time: 114 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2003 | | Catalog ID: 1005881 | | UPC: 00027616901088 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: English | | Available Audio Tracks: English [CC], English | | Video: Color |
| Cast & Crew
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"...Mr. Duvall's performance exhibits his characteristically taut command..." 03/28/2003 p.E28Rolling Stone
"...The scenes with John J. and Manuela have the improvisatory feel of a John Cassavetes film..." 04/17/2003 p.111 Entertainment Weekly
"...One of the most spry and irresistible character studies of Duvall's career....The dance scenes are lovely..." 04/04/2003 p.77 Chicago Sun-Times
"...A fascinating effort..." 04/04/2003 p.31 Los Angeles Times
"...Keep your eye on the small touches, the personal vision that Duvall has imprinted on his film with the reckless abandon of a true artist..." 03/28/2003 p.C8 |
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