The Puccios are a seemingly respectable Buenos Aires family living comfortably in an Argentina of the 1980s under the dictatorship of the military junta.
But, like the country itself, respectability is only skin deep – patriarch Arquimedes (a menacing performance from Guillermo Francella) heads a criminal gang of kidnappers and extortionists made up predominantly of his family.
It’s all based on a true story and the source material is rich in detail and potential – but sadly any lack of suspense is lost as director Pablo Trapero chooses a matter-of-fact, somewhat dull approach. Disappointing.
Rating: 51%
Director: Pablo Trapero (Carancho, Leonera)
Writer: Julian Loyola (Wild Tales, Chronicle of an Escape), Esteban Student (Chronicle of an Escape), Pablo Trapero (Carancho, Lion’s Den)
Main cast: Guillermo Francella (The Secret in Their Eyes, Rudo & Cursi), Peter Lanzani (TV’s Casi ángeles, When You Smile)
An Opinion or Two 