An aging European wrestler, Jacob Van Oppen, has seen better days. We find him with Prince Orsini, a seedy promoter, as they come into a small Uruguayan town. Orsini, who claims he comes from a noble Italian family, is an unscrupulous wheeler-dealer who operates on the premise that a sucker is born every day. He wants to stage an event in which Jacob will fight anyone for a prize of one thousand dollars, if Jacob loses.
In order to create interest in the fight, Orsini goes to the local newspaper where the editor is sympathetic to the idea of a challenge. His paper serves to generate hype for the event which will take place at the local theater on a Saturday. Orsini, realizing his wrestler is in bad shape tries to get a local man to go through the motions and let Jacob win. The scheme backfires on him when the man proceeds to get drunk with the money he got for the bribe.
There is someone that is really interested in getting the prize money. She is Adriana, a woman that figures her strong companion, Turco, will defeat Jacob. Adriana figures her man is younger, stronger and in better shape than the European. At the same time, she has her doubts Prince Orsini is on the level. She wants to see the money before the thing gets out of hand.
Orsini, who has no means to pay anything, counts on the proceeds from the gate to make some money. Not content with that, he decides to try his hand at gambling at the local tavern, a poor choice, as it turns out he loses what he had. Trying to appeal to Jacob to skip town on an early bus, has the opposite effect. Jacob's pride is hurt; he wants to fight, plus, unknown to his manager he has the funds to pay off if he loses.
Director Alvaro Brechner's first full length film surprises by showing a fine style and by infusing the story with the necessary suspense to keep the viewer interested in the amazing finale. The director adapted Juan Carlos Onetti "Jacobo y el otro" with some help from its star, Gary Piquer. The result is one of the most satisfying films that have come from Uruguay in recent memory. Mr. Brechner involves the audience without any tricks or superfluous incidents in the narrative. The film is original in that it does not rely in tried formulas despite the fact one has an idea how it will play at the end.
An intense Gary Piquer, whose resemblance to American actor Harvey Keitel is remarkable, steals the film and makes it his own. The actor does not have a false moment, he is that reptilian person living from the faded glory of a man that is no longer in his prime. Mr. Piquer is perfect as the man without scruples who will stop at nothing to get what he wants while sucking out the life of a man that is no longer what he was. Others in the film include Jouko Ahola, a Finnish actor that does great work for the director. Same can be said about Antonella Costa's Adriana, the calculating woman who does not care about what happens to her man.
Alvaro Brechner shows a great talent and one wishes him to go far in his future endeavors.
In order to create interest in the fight, Orsini goes to the local newspaper where the editor is sympathetic to the idea of a challenge. His paper serves to generate hype for the event which will take place at the local theater on a Saturday. Orsini, realizing his wrestler is in bad shape tries to get a local man to go through the motions and let Jacob win. The scheme backfires on him when the man proceeds to get drunk with the money he got for the bribe.
There is someone that is really interested in getting the prize money. She is Adriana, a woman that figures her strong companion, Turco, will defeat Jacob. Adriana figures her man is younger, stronger and in better shape than the European. At the same time, she has her doubts Prince Orsini is on the level. She wants to see the money before the thing gets out of hand.
Orsini, who has no means to pay anything, counts on the proceeds from the gate to make some money. Not content with that, he decides to try his hand at gambling at the local tavern, a poor choice, as it turns out he loses what he had. Trying to appeal to Jacob to skip town on an early bus, has the opposite effect. Jacob's pride is hurt; he wants to fight, plus, unknown to his manager he has the funds to pay off if he loses.
Director Alvaro Brechner's first full length film surprises by showing a fine style and by infusing the story with the necessary suspense to keep the viewer interested in the amazing finale. The director adapted Juan Carlos Onetti "Jacobo y el otro" with some help from its star, Gary Piquer. The result is one of the most satisfying films that have come from Uruguay in recent memory. Mr. Brechner involves the audience without any tricks or superfluous incidents in the narrative. The film is original in that it does not rely in tried formulas despite the fact one has an idea how it will play at the end.
An intense Gary Piquer, whose resemblance to American actor Harvey Keitel is remarkable, steals the film and makes it his own. The actor does not have a false moment, he is that reptilian person living from the faded glory of a man that is no longer in his prime. Mr. Piquer is perfect as the man without scruples who will stop at nothing to get what he wants while sucking out the life of a man that is no longer what he was. Others in the film include Jouko Ahola, a Finnish actor that does great work for the director. Same can be said about Antonella Costa's Adriana, the calculating woman who does not care about what happens to her man.
Alvaro Brechner shows a great talent and one wishes him to go far in his future endeavors.