ONE FINAL ACT // A FILM REVIEW OF "THE WEASEL'S TALE (EL CUENTO DE LAS COMADREJAS)"
A scheme on a scheme on a scheme. A classic film tradition. The excitement of watching people outwit each other, one-upping each other, until the other one either gives up, folds or is caught. When done well, it can sweep you away with a twisty plot filled with one double cross after another. The new Argentinian film THE WEASEL'S TALE (EL CUENTO DE LAS COMADREJAS) wastes no time letting you in. Graciela Borges (a legend in Argentine cinema) plays Mara Ordaz, an ex-film Diva straight out of the Norma Desmond handbook. She lives in a remote mansion, just outside the city, along with her wheelchair bound husband Pedro (Luis Brandoni). Also living there are two of her closest film collaborators: a writer named Martín (the late Marcos Mundstock) and a director named Norberto (Oscar Martínez). They laugh, eat and take sharp jabs at each other, cutting each other down as if it's a sport. Calling each other out but in a loving way (perhaps not so lovingly with Mara).
Out of the blue one day, a couple of city slickers (Clara Lago, Nicholás Francella) drive up to their house, claiming to be lost but just so happen to be huge fans of Mara. After a brief tour of the estate, they push for Mara to get back on the screen where she belongs. And if she is to do so, she shouldn't live so far outside the city. She should move from this out of the way mansion to a new place in the city and it just so happens that they have great connections to help her do just that. I think it's safe to say that we smell a con going on. What's so exciting is that Norberto and Martin are never charmed by them, even if Mara and Pedro are. Right away they smell something fishy going on and the game is afoot. The writer and director pair immediately begin scheming to take down the two young swindlers and Mara is entranced by the idea of heading back to the silver screen. The take downs may bite, but it's all played for laughs and the humor is icy sharp. In fact, the entire screenplay is one clever scene after clever scene, with gorgeous cinematography by Félix Monti.
Juan José Campanella, the actual director of the film, paces everything perfectly and skillfully keeps us one step behind by making us laugh and delighting us with an Old Hollywood meets dark film satire feel. The cast of older actors truly are a "who's who" in Argentine cinema, with the exquisite Graciela Borges nailing it as a past her prime film diva clawing at one last shot of glory. She own every piece of the screen anytime she's on it and her humor is also pitch perfect. The entire rest of the ensemble are equally wonderful, with Marcos Mundstock (who sadly passed away earlier this year) and Oscar Martínez being slight standouts in the overall great cast. THE WEASEL'S TALE (EL CUENTO DE LAS COMADREJAS) is a gem of a film, one that truly earns, "They just don't make them like this anymore."
GRADE: A
BASED ON A SCREENPLAY BY Augusto Giustozzi, José A. Martínez Suárez SCREENPLAY BY Juan José Campanella, Darren Kloomok DIRECTED BY Juan José Campanella STARRING Graciela Borges, Oscar Martínez, Luis Brandoni, Marcos Mundstock, Clara Lago, Nicolás Francella NOW PLAYING IN SELECT THEATRES AND IN DIGITAL CINEMAS EVERYWHERE. FOR MORE INFO: https://www.outsiderpictures.us/movie/the-weasels-tale/