El secreto de sus ojos (The Secret in Their Eyes) 2009

Hands down, this is one of the best movies I've seen in 2010. It is smart. It is funny. It is tragic. It is very romantic. Dramedy does not begin to cover the range of genres this movie covers.

Ricardo Darín is marvelous as a retired investigator with the Buenos Aires police. He decides to write a novel based on one of his unsolved cases. To do this he goes back to the office and talks to his old boss played deliciously by Carla Quevedo. The chemistry these two have is equal to that of their characters.

Side characters make any good movie better, and this one is no exception. Guillermo Francella is wonderful as the comic relief, the true brain, the mock buffoon, and best friend of Darin's character.

The rest of the cast is up to the task and are brilliant together. None will be familiar to American audiences, but are very familiar faces to Argentine audiences.

The rape scene early in the movie is the hardest part to watch. Scenes of the crime investigation are next. But, they are relatively brief and can be dealt with the fast forward if needed without any loss to the story line.

If you like movies with a mix of suspense, mystery, humor, and romance combined with a surprise ending, you will certainly like this one. In Spanish with English subtitles, it moves to fast you hardly notice. But do pay attention to the quick witty repartee between characters.

Watch this with someone who knows how to hold a grudge.

Terriers

I'm breaking form and going WAY outside the movies-worth-a-watch realm here. But, there is a new TV series on FX called Terriers. San Diego based private detective show. Shows all sides of San Diego county - refreshing for some - dark and seedy for others.

Donal Logue plays a street smart but socially retarded ex-cop and recovering alcoholic. His business partner is the confusingly bipolar (brilliant-doofus) played by Michael Raymond-James. Other regular characters come and go depending on the week's episode (13 so far), but they are all very very good.

This may be the first TV series I've reviewed here, but not the first I have TiVo'd. Rescue Me and Castle are also both worth the watch in my opinion. I don't have time to watch many, and I consider these worth my time.

Watch this with someone who can see beyond the doofus to the genius behind.