The Secret in Their Eyes (El secreto de sus ojos) won the 2010 Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film. It’s a crime drama that features a brutal killing, dim-witted police work, corrupt government officials, a long quest for revenge, and finally a love story of sorts.

Benjamín Espósito (Ricardo Darín), a retired Argentine court officer, wants to write a novel based on a crime committed in 1974, just before the last military Junta seized power. The story is told in flashbacks as he interviews various people involved in the investigation. Of course he really hopes to find a way to bring the killer to justice after all these years–and perhaps he is also looking for an excuse to spend some time with the beautiful supervisor (Soledad Villamil) whom he once secretly adored.

The film has a rather old-fashioned feel. It doesn’t try to overwhelm us with special effects; instead it is low-key, thoughtful and melancholy.