Assassination Tango

I should have known this movie would not be able to live up to its over dramatized name. But it was the mention of tango in the title that got me curious in the first place. I wasn't expecting a movie of the year, but I thought that even if the plot didn't end up grabbing me, that at least the scenes of Argentina- sensuous tango and beautiful milongas- would keep my interest. But even that lacked substance.

It's too bad because this movie had some great ideas. The main character- John J, who is played by Duvall- is an older man leading a double life. In one life, he is gentle, wanting to do anything to please Emily- a ten year old girl who has captured his heart. He crawls into bed with Emily's mom (his girlfriend), and wraps his arms around her as they sleep soundly. But as the woman opens her eyes slowly, we get a sense of her own doubt about what this man is really up to.

But her little doubts are nothing compared to what her lover is really up to. The funny thing is that she never finds out about his other life- that he is a hitman, paid to kill. When he gets sent to Argentina to assassinate an important political figure, I thought finally! But I kept waiting and waiting for something deeper, something exciting, but... nothing. The scenes dragged along, with potentially great ideas that only tease the viewers. Because by the end of the movie, I was still not moved, convinced or satisfied by the characters, the storyline or the setting.


So much more could have been done with the choice of tango as the center of the movie. What a great metphor for the passion and life, and how it could have been used to grip and grab the viewer's attention. But there were only a couple of scenes in which I was captivated for a few seconds by the dancing- ganchos and sharp movements filling up the dance floor. And the beautiful, elegant tango dancer-Manuela, played by Luciana Pedraza- shows off her bare back as a row of rhinestones falling from her neck down her spine, glimmer against her skin.

It's a shame that the tango was not accentuated in the story more. I heard that Robert Duvall - the director- is a huge tango fan. But I guess this movie did not end up being the best example of his love of the dance. Maybe next time, Mr. Duvall. At least the movie didn't kill tango for me. In fact, what little tastes of it that I got from some scenes made me want to find another movie that gives a better representation of the dance and of the alure of Argentina. Any suggestions?