El Aura

Alejandro Awada and Ricardo Darin in El Aura

Fabien Bielinsky's El Aura is a slow burn thriller from Argentina. Ricardo Darin plays Esteban, an epileptic taxidermist from Buenos Aires. Esteban is a loner, deserted by his wife, who fantasizes about planning elaborate heists. When a frenemy invites him to a hunting trip in Patagonia, the opportunity arises to fulfil his fantasies. Of course, his fantasies do not match the harsh light of reality.

The aura refers to the brief moments of transcendence an epileptic experiences before falling into a seizure. The reality of the film is a sharp slap across the face in response to such intimations of freedom. Men in El aura are aggressive and sadistic brutes vying for dominance. They may shoot all sorts of game, but besting their fellow man is the ultimate trophy. Bielinsky stresses the bleakness of his scenario with a monochromatic palette of blues, greys, and greens. The lack of connection between the characters is emphasized by the framing in the widescreen format.

This would be all to misanthropic if not for the humanity gleaned in the performances. Even the most vile of Bielinsky's creations has moments of vulnerability. Best of the miscreants is Walter Reyno as a gunsel facing his twilight. Darin aptly captures his character's dimness and his delusions of grandeur. Esteban has, at least, gained a faithful companion by the film's conclusion. Sadly, this 2005 film was Bielinsky's final effort before his premature death at 47.