EL ÁNGEL Argentina, 2018Director: Luis Ortega Spanish with English subtitles | 126 minInternational Hits
Thursday, August 29 | 9:30 PM | The Rio
Loosely based on the true story of one of Argentina’s most infamous criminals, El Ángel re-imagines the origins of Carlos Robledo Puch, the baby-faced teenager nicknamed the “Angel of Death” whose murder spree dominated national headlines in Argentina during the early 1970s. What begins as a series of petty thefts when Carlitos is a boy eventually escalates into a series of ruthless killings. Being from a wealthy family, Carlitos’ crimes are motivated purely by the thrill of transgression, a thrill that soon requires increasingly riskier targets to satisfy. And with his blond curls and attractive rosy-cheeked face, he has no trouble gaining access to wherever he wants to go. El Ángel is a thrilling, erotic ride through a sociopath’s world.
Basada en la historia real de uno de los criminales más infames de Argentina, El Ángel cuenta los orígenes de Carlos Robledo Puch, el asesino serial con cara de bebé-adolescente cuya carrera criminal dominó los titulares nacionales a principios de los años 70. Lo que comienza como una serie de crímenes más leves se convierte rápidamente en una serie de asesinatos despiadados, en los que Carlos usa sus rizos rubios y su actitud angelical para cautivar a sus víctimas. El Ángel se estrenó en el Festival de Cannes 2018.
Splendidly paced and gorgeously photographed, El Ángel is a departure from the sparser nature of Ortega’s previous films, yet his attraction to outlaws remains… Through this turbulent and confusing character, Ortega offers a meaningful reflection on how violence is glamourized on the screen. -Diana Sanchez, TIFF
Un Certain Regard, Cannes Film Festival, 2018 Best Actor (Lorenzo Ferro), Havana Film Festival, 2018
Filmography: Lulu (2014), Dromómanos (2012), Verano maldito (2011), Los santos sucios (2009), Monobloc (2005), Caja negra (2002)