I was drawn to this by Robert Duvall's presence as writer, director, and lead, but found the movie ultimately unsatisfying. The intriguing premise of a professional assassin who is also a devoted dad and "primary other" never plays out in a meaningful way; there is no resolution. We have been warned by previous reviewers not to look for the traditional elements of a crime drama - i.e., who, what, why and when ? - and they are indeed missing. A lot of questions are left unanswered, and it is clear that movie, as more of a pure character study, is not interested in these questions. However, we as viewers, being only human, want desperately to know who is behind the plot developments. We never really find out. Having said that, the movie is gorgeous to look at; the cinematography of Buenos Aires locales, especially the dark interiors of the Tango clubs, is stunningly atmospheric. However, the dramatic tension is too often allowed to slacken, especially in the long dance-scene conversations and in the interplay of Anderson and Manuela, where I suspect the presence of a lot of improvisational dialogue. Luciana Pedraze, as Manuela, has an intriguingly natural and spontaneous screen presence. In short the movie is beautiful to look at but can be called self-indulgent exercise on Duvall's part.
Review of Assassination Tango
