Jorge Rattery, an awful bully hated by the family and friends present at his dinner table, is ranting about Felix, a guest brought to the house by Jorge's sister-in-law, actress Linda Lawson. Felix has been kicked out of the house—we don't know why—and in the middle of the rant, Jorge drops dead after taking his medicine. We see his young stepson Ronnie surreptitiously take the bottle away before the police arrive. The others at the table include Violeta, the wife, whom we learn was beaten regularly by her husband; Linda, the actress; Mrs. Rattery, Jorge's mother who didn’t like Violeta and did her own bullying by pointing out Jorge's affairs to her; Carpax, Jorge's business partner; and his wife Rhoda who was Jorge's most recent mistress. Felix is called back by the police from the hotel he was banished to. It's discovered that Felix, a writer of crime novels, wrote out an elaborate plan to kill Jorge but never enacted it (or so it seems). In a long flashback, we learn why Felix hated Jorge. Some months back, Felix was celebrating his birthday with his young son Martie on a misty night when the boy was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Felix is devastated and devotes his life to finding the guilty party. After months, he gets a break: while researching a new novel, he makes contact with the actress Linda Lawson and eventually pieces together what happened. Jorge was driving his car, trying to make out with Linda who was fighting back when he hit Martie in the fog and drove away. Felix and Linda begin an affair which is how he gets invited to the Rattery home for a weekend stay. Felix becomes close to Ronnie, who had, in addition to seeing Jorge abuse his mother, been bullied by Jorge. Felix plots to kill Jorge on a canoe at sea and writes his plans out in a diary, but Jorge reads it and is ready for him. With the attempt unsuccessful, Jorge gives Felix the boot, and we're back to where we started. Who actually did carry out the murder?
This Argentinian film noir is based on a well-known mystery novel by Nicholas Blake (pen name for the British poet Cecil Day Lewis). Its fractured narrative structure, which is very effective, differs from the novel which plays out chronologically. The book was also part of a series which featured the detective Nigel Strangeways; here, Nigel is a relatively minor character (and, if I got this right, is Felix’s lawyer, not a detective). But little unsung gem can be appreciated as a noir or a mystery or a psychological thriller. I was unfamiliar with any of the actors but they are quite good, especially Narciso Ibanez Menta (pictured) as Felix, Laura Hidalgo as Linda, Nathan Pinzon as Carpax, and Humberto Balado as Ronnie. Felix's grief feels real—a scene of Felix in his son's bedroom after the death where he finds the boy's birthday present to him is almost unbearably sad. Despite the broken timeline, the story is easy to follow, though I admit to getting a little confused when it came to the ins and outs of Felix's diary entries. Well directed by Roman Vinoly Barreto and beautifully shot by Alberto Etchebehere, the film is full of odd angles and atmospheric scenes. Felix’s birthday meal and the death of his son look like something from a Val Lewton movie. The ending is sad but satisfying. Highly recommended. [Criterion Channel]
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