White Elephant (2012)
"Elefante blanco" (original title)

While working alongside his long-time friend and colleague in building a hospital for the residents of a Buenos Aries shantytown, a troubled priest finds solace in a young, atheist social worker.

Director:

Pablo Trapero

Writers:

Alejandro Fadel, Martín Mauregui,

Stars:

Ricardo Darín, Jérémie Renier, Martina Gusman

6 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Ricardo Darín	...	Julián
Jérémie Renier	...	Nicolás (as Jeremie Renier)
Martina Gusman	...	Luciana
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Miguel Arancibia	...	Capataz
Federico Barga	...	Monito
Esteban Díaz	...	Chato
Pablo Gatti	...	Sandoval
Walter Jakob	...	Cruz
Raul Ramos	...	Obispo
Susana Varela	...	Carmelita
Julio Zarza	...	Danilo

Storyline

The "Villa Virgin", a shantytown in the slums of Buenos Aires. Julian and Nicolas, two priests and long-standing friends, work tirelessly to help the local people. Julian uses his political connections to oversee the construction of a hospital. Nicolas joins him following the failure of a project he was leading in the jungle, after paramilitary forces assassinated members of the community. Deeply troubled, he finds a little comfort in Luciana, a young, attractive, atheist social worker. As Nicolas' faith weakens, tension and violence between the slum drug dealing cartels grow. And when work on the hospital is halted by ministerial decree, the fuse is lit...

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Plot Keywords:

slum | social worker | priest | jungle | faith | 

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

Argentina Spain France

Language:

Spanish

Release Date:

17 May 2012 (Argentina)

Also Known As:

White Elephant

Filming Locations:

Buenos Aires, Federal District, Argentina

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$5,098 (USA) (29 March 2013)

Gross:

$7,519 (USA) (5 April 2013)

Company Credits

Production Co:

ARTE, Canal Plus, Canal+ España

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Televisión registrada: Ricardo Darín (2012)

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Soundtracks

"Las cosas que no se tocan"
Written by Pity Álvarez
Performed by Intoxicados

User Reviews

Imperdible pero decepcionado.

Really disappointed me with a very weak argument, it seems that the film tries to portray only what we already know what happens in the villages. Images repetitive, almost exaggerated, about the inhuman conditions in which many people live in our country, make a documentary film class.

Yes, it is impeccable filming, excellent cinematography, setting, and a way to shoot that turn the viewer into another resident of that place. Not so the music I think is another weak point because, beyond the issue of Pity Alvarez with which opens and closes the film, music that is heard is really bad.

But the film fails because it fails to catch a solid script and with characters that are created in such a way to get in your skin. Darin always right but off other papers, it sticks Renier with authority about his character but the most important protagonist of the film seems to be the rain, constant, unbearable, identified as another of the many shrines that these people must suffer, suggests almost as God forgot that part of the world. In short, a movie not to miss, but it is far from being among the best of Trapero, of Darin, of the year of our cinema.