El Bonaerense

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El Bonaerense

Released Nov 26, 2003

1h 41m

Crime

Drama

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92%

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12 Reviews

47%

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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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V.A. Musetto

New York Post

Director Trapero drives home his message -- the thin line between crooks and cops -- without hitting viewers over the head or seeming to point fingers.

Rated: 3/4

Nov 26, 2003

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Stephen Holden

New York Times

[A] powerful sweat-stained swatch of Argentine neo-realism.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 25, 2003

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Michael Atkinson

Village Voice

The vapor traces of farce and policier that waft from this terribly earnest film never coalesce.

Nov 25, 2003

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Samantha Schuster

Cinéfilo Serial

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]

Rated: 4/5

Jul 17, 2025

Full Review

Kent Turner

Film-Forward.com

Low budget and technically polished, El Bonaerense is a calm, simmering satire of a police force that is a power all to itself.

Rated: 2.75/5

Apr 9, 2004

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Bob Campbell

Newark Star-Ledger

Credit El Bonaerense with journalistic single-mindedness and, given recent Argentine history, sheer guts.

Dec 5, 2003

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Vitor O

Extremely realist movie that depicts the corruption on the Buenos Aires police force.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/20/25

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Audience Member

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.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

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...

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Cine realista sobre la corrupcion y las particularidades policiales

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

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Pablo Trapero

Director

Jorge Román

Zapa

Darío Levy

Gallo

Hugo Anganuzzi

Polaco

Víctor Hugo Carrizo

Molinari

Graciana Chironi

Zapa's Mother

Roberto Succo

100%

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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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