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The Official Story

Play trailer Poster for The Official Story Released Nov 8, 1985 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 89% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
This Argentine drama focuses on Alicia (Norma Aleandro), a high school history teacher who is leading a comfortable life with her husband, Roberto (Héctor Alterio), a businessman with ties to the military, and their adopted daughter. When Alicia begins to wonder about the identity of the little girl's birth parents, she finds herself suspecting that her daughter may be the child of people abducted or killed by the government's brutal crackdown on leftist groups.

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The Official Story

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times The Official Story is part polemic, part thriller, part tragedy. It belongs on the list with films like Z, Missing and El Norte, which examine the human aspects of political unrest. Rated: 4/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Walter Goodman New York Times From the legacy of anguish left by Argentina's military juntas, Luis Puenzo has created a glowing film. Aug 30, 2004 Full Review Eleanor Ringel Cater Saporta Report (Atlanta) Sometimes the most enduring political statements are made without guns and banners. Oct 9, 2023 Full Review Rosa Parra Latinx Lens Outstanding performances all around. A powerful film highlighting the ramifications of an Argentinian dictatorship. A must-watch film. Rated: 4.5/5 Mar 4, 2021 Full Review Molly Haskell Vogue [A] proudly intelligent, powerfully moving drama, a "political" film that is much, much more than that. Feb 28, 2020 Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy Simultaneously serves as a crackling political thriller and a deeply moving family drama. Rated: 3.5/4 Apr 23, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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M D Esta película me pareció impresionante. Muestra una Argentina post dictatorial que lucha con volver a reconstruir su democracia y procesar los eventos de desaparición y persecución del autodenominado "Proceso de Reconstrucción Nacional" (PRN). Una profesora de historia, esposa de un burgués cómplice de los crímenes dictatoriales, que se enfrenta a una realidad que está comenzando a salir a la luz, y que la interpela vigorosamente. Una realidad que involucra desapariciones forzadas, tortura, asesinatos y bebés separados de sus madres y dados a familias poderosas. La posición de Alicia es importante, porque como mujer burguesa y a su vez profesora en una escuela tiene que elegir entre creer el discurso de los militares y los empresarios cómplices, o abrir los ojos, que no es tarea fácil. Me gustó como se demuestra la tarea ardua que significa reconstruir la democracia de un país luego de atravesar procesos históricos tan absolutos e intensivos que alteran todas las esferas. También, el énfasis en la construcción de la memoria, "porque ningún país puede sobrevivir sin ella". Pero sobre todo quiero resaltar el título de esta película; "La historia oficial". La historia oficial hace referencia, en mi humilde deducción, a la primera historia de la Argentina escrita por la familia de Bartolomé Mitre. Este hombre fue el fundador del Estado Nacional Argentino y representante de la oligarquía argentina. Es una historia que fue "escrita por los vencedores", que ensalza a los civilizados liberales demonizando a todas las figuras soberanas que con valentía defendieron a su pueblo y sus valores. La de 1985 es otra historia oficial, la que quieren imponer las juntas militares: de que no hubo secuestros y asesinatos, y si hubo desaparecidos "por algo habrá sido". Un estudiante de historia le dice Alicia que no hay que creer todo lo que está escrito, que uno debe releer la historia y elegir cuál es la perspectiva que sintoniza más con la verdad y los valores de uno. En 1985 como en 1850 se impuso una historia oficial, pero esta vez la Argentina la escupió y escribió la suya, la propia. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 06/14/23 Full Review William L When filmmakers set out to dramatize a period of violent unrest or tragedy, it's easy to recruit an A-lister looking to be taken seriously as an artist, create an Oscar bait script, throw in a few shock-value scenes and call it a day. The Official Story mercifully doesn't fit that mold. Instead, it is a drama that takes place in the aftermath of the most horrific aspects of the event itself, focusing on the human toll, the confrontation with its scope and impact, and the lingering after effects. The Argentinian military junta of the 1970s was like an open wound that could be dealt with in the short term but which the people in positions of power refused to address; the families of victims who were abducted or dispersed were still alive and vocal, but largely ignored. Thus Puenzo's film could take the position of being slightly more subdued without losing potency (the moments where things are left unsaid have enough power to make you wish that he script didn't let the tension break by boiling over later in the runtime). Aleandro's Alicia is not so simple as to be simply a vehicle for confronting a dark past on a national level, she instead brings up a painful decision - the righting of a now-dated moral wrong, or the reinforcement of a lie to protect the one untainted party, her illegaly adopted daughter, tying into her own personal identity crisis as a "guilty bourgeoisie". Well-acted, socially conscious, and one of the few films made in direct response to the recent downfall of an oppressive regime that tackles its subject with power and subtletly in equal measure rather than reaching for easy pickings. (3.5/5) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 12/01/21 Full Review Audience Member Um filme magnifico sobre a Ditadura argentina, que perdurou de 1976 a 1983, entre 9.000 e 30.000 pessoas foram mortas ou desapareceram, e retrata de forma dramatizada a busca das Avós da Plaza de Mayo ou Abuelas, que segundo registros tinham 172 crianças desaparecidas, uma ficção, baseada em inúmeros casos reais, revoltante, impactante, necessário, um filme bem produzido e triste, felizmente recuperado… Excelente… Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review s r 1001 movies to see before you die. An informative film based on the Argentina missing persons political tragedy. Despite its melodrama, it still resonated. Saw it on HBO. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This is everything Roma is not, a fantastic drama. The backdrop is essential and adds to the narrative. Subtle but hits like a piledriver. This is a movie more people should know about at least in spanish speaking countries. This is timeless movie that feels like it could've been set in any LatinAmerican country in the past 70 years. Sadly very underrated. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review lucca b A well-crafted, solidly acted, gripping, gritty, haunting and emotional look at the dictatorship in Argentina during the 70s. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Official Story

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Movie Info

Synopsis This Argentine drama focuses on Alicia (Norma Aleandro), a high school history teacher who is leading a comfortable life with her husband, Roberto (Héctor Alterio), a businessman with ties to the military, and their adopted daughter. When Alicia begins to wonder about the identity of the little girl's birth parents, she finds herself suspecting that her daughter may be the child of people abducted or killed by the government's brutal crackdown on leftist groups.
Director
Luis Puenzo
Screenwriter
Aída Bortnik
Distributor
Almi Pictures
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 8, 1985, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 10, 2016
Runtime
1h 50m
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