RED BEAR (DVD/WS/ENG-SUB) DVD

A Red Bear
Oso (Julio Chávez), also known as "The Bear," is released from prison after seven years. In flashback, we see the robbery and shoot-out with police that led to his arrest, which took place on his daughter's first birthday. He returns to his hometown, a depressed suburb of Buenos Aires, fully aware that his wife, Natalia (Soledad Villamil), has moved on and is living with another man, Sergio (Luis Machín). But he's determined to establish a relationship with Alicia (Agostina Lage), his daughter, and to collect the money owed to him by an oily local crime lord known as "The Turk" (René Lavan). Of course, things don't go exactly as Oso would like. Natalia, knowing that Sergio feels threatened, is conflicted about allowing Oso to see Alicia. Oso soon learns that Sergio is unemployed, and gambles away what little money he has, amassing a sizeable debt with a thuggish bookie. The Turk, meanwhile, will only pay his debt if Oso agrees to be the getaway driver on one last big job. For her part, Alicia seems fascinated with her father, though, and makes him promise never to go away again. Co-written and directed by Adrián Caetano (Pizza, Birra, Faso), Red Bear was shown at New Directors/New Films in 2003. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide

Cast Julio Chaves as Oso, AKA "The Bear" Soledad Villamil as Natalia Luis Machín as Sergio Rene Lavand as Turco, AKA "The Turk" Agostina Lage as Alicia

Crew Graciela Oderigo - Art Director Milena Poylo - Associate Producer Gilles Sacuto - Associate Producer Jose Maria Morales - Associate Producer Adrián Caetano - Director Santiago Ricci - Editor Diego Grimblat - Composer (Music Score) Jorge Guillermo Behnisch - Cinematographer Lita Stantic - Producer Jesica Suarez - Sound/Sound Designer Marcos De Aguirre - Sound/Sound Designer Graciela Speranza - Screenwriter Adrián Caetano - Screenwriter Romina Lafranchini - Short Story Author

A Red Bear
Adrián Caetano's Red Bear is a gritty low-budget family drama that falls back on overly familiar crime drama tropes as its plot kicks into high gear. Julio Chávez's gruff tough-guy performance in the lead is pitch-perfect, and the film captures the aura of Argentina in economic despair. A subplot involving Oso (Chávez) having to do the perennial "one more job" is handled with style and economy, but it's still a hackneyed plot device. Still, Oso's efforts to reconnect with his estranged family are portrayed with a welcome lack of sentimentality. The film is strongest in its terse family drama, as Oso and his young daughter, Alicia (Agostina Lage), try to figure each other out, carefully mapping out a new relationship, while his ex-wife, Natalia (Soledad Villamil), deals with a new set of domestic woes, stemming from the unemployment and gambling addiction of her boyfriend, Sergio (Luis Machín). At times, it seems like Caetano is stacking the deck a bit by making Sergio a petulant, whiny loser, but Machín makes all his foibles recognizably human, and eventually it seems like he'll probably take better care of his family than Oso could. While that subplot, reminiscent of a dozen other crime dramas, and Oso's superhuman ability with violence strain credulity, the poignant dysfunctional family at the film's center gives Red Bear a surprising emotional pull. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
 

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General Specifications: Language Options: Spanish Subtitle Options: English Sound Processing: DD: Generic Dolby Digital (unspecified format) Additional Features: Foreign theatrical trailer Scene selections DVD Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1: Theatre Wide-Screen MPAA Rating: DVD Discs Included: 1 DVD Sides: 1 DVD DVD Region Code: Content Length: 92 min   DVD Chapters: Side #1 -- 2. Paroled [6:05] 3. Reunions [8:20] 4. Getting Settled [4:24] 5. Two Fathers [8:49] 6. Threats [2:50] 7. Photos [5:57] 8. Bonding [8:29] 9. No More Bets [6:36] 10. The Merry-Go-Round [5:32] 11. Embrace [3:39] 12. Support [7:01] 13. The Heist [8:46] 14. Stolen Money [6:28] 15. Revenge [3:51] 16. The Story Ends [4:37]