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El bonaerense

Play trailer Poster for El bonaerense 2003 1h 41m Crime Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 12 Reviews 49% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Locksmith Zapa (Jorge Román) lives unremarkably with his family in the countryside of Argentina -- until his corrupt boss, Polaco (Hugo Anganuzzi), frames him for a robbery. When his retired-cop father bails him out, he is sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a police cadet. Under the guidance of Molinari (Víctor Hugo Carrizo) and the mentoring of Inspector Gallo (Darío Levy), Zapa rises quickly, but soon he discovers the deep corruption that pervades the Buenos Aires police force.
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El bonaerense

Critics Reviews

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V.A. Musetto New York Post 11/26/2003
3/4
Director Trapero drives home his message -- the thin line between crooks and cops -- without hitting viewers over the head or seeming to point fingers. Go to Full Review
Stephen Holden New York Times 11/25/2003
4/5
[A] powerful sweat-stained swatch of Argentine neo-realism. Go to Full Review
Michael Atkinson Village Voice 11/25/2003
The vapor traces of farce and policier that waft from this terribly earnest film never coalesce. Go to Full Review
Samantha Schuster Cinéfilo Serial Jul 17
4/5
It seeks to address the universe of the Buenos Aires police, capturing all its facets: the speed of its training, the mistreatment among personnel and towards detainees, the corruption and the businesses that are built around it. [Full Review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
Kent Turner Film-Forward.com 04/09/2004
2.75/5
Low budget and technically polished, El Bonaerense is a calm, simmering satire of a police force that is a power all to itself. Go to Full Review
Bob Campbell Newark Star-Ledger 12/05/2003
Credit El Bonaerense with journalistic single-mindedness and, given recent Argentine history, sheer guts. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Vitor O Mar 20 Extremely realist movie that depicts the corruption on the Buenos Aires police force. See more 06/17/2010 A great movie depicting the other side of Buenos Aires. Corruption, greed, bureaucracy, power rushes that a loaded pistol gives the uneducated, Christmas and the dream of accomplishing something in order to get out of the shanty town the main character is simply trying to survive one more day. See more 08/23/2009 a very realistic depiction of how people move up the ladder in (probably) any police force in the world...or for that matter any organization... See more 08/15/2009 Cine realista sobre la corrupcion y las particularidades policiales See more Read all reviews
El bonaerense

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Movie Info

Synopsis Locksmith Zapa (Jorge Román) lives unremarkably with his family in the countryside of Argentina -- until his corrupt boss, Polaco (Hugo Anganuzzi), frames him for a robbery. When his retired-cop father bails him out, he is sent to Buenos Aires, Argentina, as a police cadet. Under the guidance of Molinari (Víctor Hugo Carrizo) and the mentoring of Inspector Gallo (Darío Levy), Zapa rises quickly, but soon he discovers the deep corruption that pervades the Buenos Aires police force.
Director
Pablo Trapero
Producer
Pablo Trapero
Screenwriter
Pablo Trapero, Daniel Valenzuela
Genre
Crime, Drama
Original Language
Spanish
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 26, 2003, Original
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Dolby Stereo, Dolby A, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Surround
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