The Accused (Spanish: Acusada) is a 2018 Argentine crime-thriller film directed by Gonzalo Tobal. It premiered at the 75th Venice International Film Festival on 4 September and was released in Argentina on 13 September by Warner Bros. Pictures. The film has received critical acclaim, with praise for Lali Espósito's performance.
| The Accused | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Theatrical release poster | |
| Spanish | Acusada |
| Directed by | Gonzalo Tobal |
| Screenplay by |
|
| Produced by |
|
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Fernando Lockett |
| Edited by | Alejandro Carrillo Penovi |
| Music by | Rogelio Sosa |
Production companies |
|
| Distributed by | Warner Bros. Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 114 minutes |
| Countries |
|
| Language | Spanish |
| Box office | $1.6 million[1] |
Plot
editDolores lived the life of a higher-class student until her best friend was found brutally murdered. Two years later, she’s the only indicted suspect for a crime that attracts a lot of media attention and has placed her in the center of the public eye.
Dolores spends her days preparing for the trial, secluded in her house as her parents work as a team ready to do anything to defend their daughter. The best lawyer is not enough, they obsessively control around her: how she looks, what she does, eats and who she sees.
But as the trial moves forward and pressure grows, suspicion and secrets emerge within the family. Cornered, increasingly isolated and just when any mistake could prove disastrous, Dolores puts the entire strategy at risk.[2]
Cast
edit- Lali Espósito as Dolores Dreier[3][4]
- Leonardo Sbaraglia as Luis Dreier, Dolores' father
- Inés Estévez as Betina Dreier, Dolores' mother
- Daniel Fanego as Ignacio Larocca, Dolores' lawyer
- Gerardo Romano as Dr. Taboada, a public prosecutor
- Emilio Vodanovich as Martin Dreier, Dolores' younger brother
- Martina Campos as Flo, Dolores' friend
- Lautaro Rodriguez as Lucas, Dolores' friend and lover
- Gael García Bernal as Mario Elmo, a popular talk-show host
- Ana Garibaldi as Marisa Nieves, the victim's mother
- Daniel Campomenosi as Rodolfo, the victim's stepfather
Release
editThe Accused had its world premiere on 4 September 2018 at the 75th Venice International Film Festival, where it was selected as one of twenty-one films to compete for the Golden Lion award.[5][6] In the following months, the film also screened at multiple film festivals, including the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival, the 23rd Busan International Film Festival, and Morelia International Film Festival, and the Miami International Film Festival.[7][8][9] The film was released in Argentina on 13 September by Warner Bros. Pictures, and eventually in France, Greece, Mexico, Serbia and Uruguay.[10]
Reception
editOn review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, The Accused holds an approval rating of 92% based on 12 reviews.[11] On Argentine review aggregator website Todas Las Críticas, the film has a weighted average score of 68 out of 100, based on 38 positive and 5 negative critics.[12]
Jay Weissberg of Variety gave the film a positive review, saying "[The Accused] is solid, straightforward storytelling, certain to do well in Spanish-speaking territories and perhaps beyond." He also singled out Espósito's performance, saying "[she] refuses to cater to expectations, resulting in a performance of unexpected ambiguity, more sensed than spelled out."[13] In his review for Screen International, Stephen Witty described it as "a quietly engrossing drama [...] of slowly dawning discoveries", and commented on Fernando Lockett's cinematography, calling it "intimate, close-up and even, occasionally, claustrophobic."[14] Cinema Scope's Diego Brodersen highlighted Espósito's performance, saying that "[she] is quite convincing as the main character: in some instances, she seems fragile; at other times, manipulative traits surface, and with them the possibility that she could be a very good liar."[15]
Accolades
edit| Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Venice Film Festival | 8 September 2018 | Main Competition (Golden Lion) |
The Accused | Nominated | [5] |
| Platino Awards | 12 May 2019 | Best Actress | Lali Espósito | Proposed | [16] |
References
edit- ^ "The Accused (Acusada)". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved 31 August 2019.
- ^ "The Accused". Film Factory. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ Torres, Santiago (18 August 2017). "Lali Esposito Talks Getting Noticed in 'The Age of Song': Interview". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ Torres, Santiago (17 August 2018). "Lali Esposito Talks New Album, 'Brava,' & Track by Track Review". Billboard. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ a b Anderson, Ariston. "Venice to Kick Off Awards Season With New Films From Coen Brothers, Luca Guadagnino and Alfonso Cuaron". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Vivarelli, Nick. "Venice Film Festival Lineup: Heavy on Award Hopefuls, Netflix and Star Power". Variety. Retrieved 25 July 2018.
- ^ Erbland, Kate (14 August 2018). "TIFF Adds More High-Profile Titles, Including Jonah Hill's 'Mid90s,' 'Boy Erased,' 'Hold the Dark,' and Many More". IndieWire. Retrieved 26 August 2018.
- ^ "Acusada". Morelia International Film Festival (FICM) (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Gottlieb, Akiva (5 March 2019). "Miami Film Festival Fetes Toni Morrison Documentary, Ibero-American Cinema". Variety. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
- ^ Roiz, Jessica (10 December 2018). "Daddy Yankee's Last 2018 Concert, Karol G & Maluma Sing 'Creeme' Live for First Time, Plus More Latin Notas". Billboard. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- ^ "The Accused (Acusada) (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved 30 October 2021.
- ^ "Acusada – Críticas". Todas Las Críticas (in Spanish). Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ Weissberg, Jay (4 September 2018). "Venice Film Review: 'The Accused'". Variety. Retrieved 4 September 2018.
- ^ Witty, Stephen (4 September 2018). "'The Accused (Acusada)': Venice Review". Screen International. Retrieved 16 September 2018.
- ^ Brodersen, Diego (11 September 2018). "The Accused (Gonzalo Tobal, Argentina/Mexico) — Contemporary World Cinema". Cinema Scope. Retrieved 17 September 2018.
- ^ "Cuáles son los candidatos argentinos para los premios Platino". La Nación (in Spanish). 31 January 2019. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
External links
edit- The Accused at IMDb