User reviews

Black comedies are a difficult movie genre. They have to get the tone exactly right, otherwise they are either not funny enough or too much over the top. In this respect, 'El ciudadano ilustre' is perfect. It's understated enough to be subtle, and surreal enough to make you laugh. It has this quality in common with that other Argentinian surprise from three years ago, 'Relatos Salvajes'.

'El ciudadano ilustre' is about a Nobel-prize winning author living in Spain, who decides to accept an invitation to become honorary citizen of his hometown, a sleepy backwater in the south of Argentina in which all of his novels are set. At first, it is unclear why he decides to accept this invitation, and only in the final minutes of the film this question is more or less answered. This nice twist at the end is the cherry on the cake.

The author, used to being admired and praised everywhere he goes, has to adapt to the less sophisticated way of life in his hometown. Already during the drive from the airport, he is in for a surprise. The car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, and he is forced to tear his latest novel apart in order to use the pages for lighting a camp fire. It's symbolic for the lack of respect the local people have for his novels. Some of them are not extremely enthusiastic about the way their town is portrayed.

His visit starts a series of unexpected events, in which art, sex, violence and local politics play a part. But the film's bizarre story line is not its only quality. Above all, it's the way the local community is shown. In one small scene, the author is sitting on a street bench when an old man appears from a nearby house to bring him a cup of the Argentinian drink 'mate'. He drinks in silence, returns the cup to the man, who re-enters the house. End of scene.

'El ciudadano ilustre' is a wonderful film, highly recommended for anyone who likes understated humor and surreal situations.

Being an Argentine (sans the Nobel prize as the main protagonist achieved) away from Argentina for over 43 years I could totally relate to the topic of this movie. I liked the main character in how clear he is about his convictions, his work, his principles and how all of this clashes against the bureaucracy, guilt, jealousy which awaits for him when he comes home... The movie is a great study of change and lack of change. His travel brings him perspective and intelligence ... The main character is a writer who forces himself to go back to his birth place and finds a world which has not changed and which projects onto him what they want him to be. This may happen to many of you writing when you go back home after not being there for a while... this movie is an extreme case of that: going back from a first world to the third world he came from. (Not Buenos Aires but a small town 500 miles from B.A.)

For starters, let me express that all the events that take place in this film can happen in real life, this fact being very welcome and of course, unusual. Not short of this, the genre explored here is indeed scarce. This film invades the spectator with a feeling of uneasiness very difficult to describe by minute five. And far from relieving you from this uncanny feeling, it builds up more and more and more and more. By the hour, I just had to stop and switch my TV to a stupid channel in order to go to bed peacefully. But don't misunderstand me: if you see my reviews you'll find I'm a tough critic of unnecessary violence and gore. What you have here is a mounting tension like when you see huge amounts of snow in the mountain ladder and you know a huge avalanche is due. Some other reviewers (of this same film) call this "predictable"; in my opinion they are completely mistaken. The avalanche is due, but you just don't know when and what it'll do. The nearest comparison I have at hand is a very old film starring Dustin Hoffman "The Straw Dogs", but it's just a poor comparison: "The Distinguished Citizen" is by far better and suspenseful. I watched the (almost) remaining half the next day and it just got better. Be warned, this film is better served for those who are emotionally sensitive: an idiot will just not notice that everything that goes on in this film is terribly wrong! I will end up saying that this is a class A film that deserves a place in the nominees for best foreign language films if not the Oscar. Highly recommended.

This is how a movie should be like. every moment of this was meaningful and the cast were chosen perfectly. It should be even watched twice.

You know the excitement of life: the Nobel Prize from the Royal Family, and the Outstanding Citizen Award from the Mayor. You all know the embarrassment of life: sitting on the plane and hearing your name on the radio, recording a TV program suddenly inserted ads. Inexplicable in life, you all know: you have to buy a wheelchair for fellow teenagers, and you have to go to the invitation of strangers. The cemetery where the former residence was used for other purposes is deserted: you just don't know where this homesickness is placed.

Few movies have achieved to be as visceral and deep as this one. Without failing to keep your eyes on the screen until the last scene, besides making you laugh, panic and hold your breath countless times, A Distinguished Citizen questions the role of the artist, his ethics and his commitments. Mantovani, the main character, confronts his origins and his own creatures face to face, outside the artificiality of his new life as an European and a very well-succeeded writer. What comes from there is the source of his art emerging again: in the mediocrity of the Latin American little town's facts (and his repercussion on them), the whole system of art comes into question. Is the writer really able to stand for what he believes in and what has earned him a Noble prize? Should the artist violate real people in order to make his art relevant? This movie proves itself consistent with its plot by providing sturdy answers instead of falling into mere nihilism or sarcasm.

This is a perplexing story from Argentina about fame and the fact that as Thomas Wolfe advised, you can never go home again. A pampered writer, in fact, a Nobel prize winner, impulsively decides to return to his native village which he left half a century ago without ever returning. He longs to revisit where it all began and our sympathy is with him because who hasn't longed to retrace the paths of life to see what might have been? The provincials in his home town pull out all the stops to curry favor with the man, lectures are scheduled, there's a parade,, he asked to judge the local art contest and they erect a hastily improvised statue of him. But instead of understanding their jealousy of his fame mingled with their genuine pride in his accomplishments, he pompously mocks their country ways and their longing to escape from the monotony of provincial life. Suddenly the tables are turned; we see the the bumpkins as honest and fallible human beings even if they lack the will and talent to escape, and the writer is revealed to be the pompous ass he probably has always been. This transformation is very skillfully done in a film that is at once funny and sad. Highly recommended.

Predictable, for sure, but there were quite a few funny moments throughout the film that managed to win me over. I commend the lead (Oscar Martínez)for the subtlety he brought to this role in order to make the part(and the situations)convincingly amusing. Understanding or navigating the nuances of a foreign culture, even when the culture is from one's own childhood, can be a tricky task.

It is a good movie, it is not a comedy, is more like a drama. Good twist at the end.

Masterpiece full of symbolism and exquisite narration.

Excellent film, great script and fine performances. Highly recommendable.

A fascinating tale of a Nobel-winning author's triumphant and sentimental return to his Argentinian hometown, a visit which soon turns sour. Unfortunately I t's also one of the ugliest films visually that I've seen, shot in low quality hand held digital video, with no lighting, colour grading or cinematography to speak of.

Thomas Wolfe once wrote that we can never go home again. He meant that we could not go back to a time when home was the same as it is in our memories. Homes change, cities change, people change; everything changes. That is the theme of the wonderful Argentinian film " The Distinguished Citizen". It is a well-written, well-directed, and well-acted film about trying to go home again, and the ultimate impossibility of accomplishing a goal that meets our memories. I generally do not like films about writers; and I particularly loathe films about writers with "writer's block" because there is no such thing. A writer writes, all the time, and never has enough time to write about all the things he or she wants to write about. I am a writer. I have several books on Amazon. I could never stop writing. A real writer never stops writing for any reason. But this film does not really center on writer's block; it is about trying to recapture one's past. And of course, the protagonist is doomed in his quest. The film goes on to show us why. If you are a successful writer, people will be jealous and try to discredit you. If you are an unsuccessful writer, people will encourage you and give you more credit than you deserve. Writing is too important to be left to the uninspired. The acting is first rate and I recommend this film highly.

The story is worth watching, and if you are from some small places like me, you can feel related if you understand that it's not trying to be subtle, and if you have found some of those bizarre characters in little towns, you are going to find this not surreal at all. Writing is good and I suspect the only reason (besides the leading actor) this have got some prices. But sadly but the movie it's badly directed, and the worst part for me it's photography, I don't care if they didn't have a huge budget, you could do much better with a decent director of photography. The feeling of cheapness comes from a poor and amateurish use of camera and lighting, not from the equipment used.

Excellent narrative, well executed, and impeccable acting. It's worth a second viewing to capture all subtleties. What a good film should be. In the beginning, you're wondering what this is going to be about. The narrative builds slowly and interestingly until a crescendo at the end.

Great movies can be made on a budget, this is not the case but neither is a bad movie. I think this movie has a very interesting story and leaving a couple of main actors aside, very simple acting. The main character acting is very good, his dialogues and words have been carefully selected. As told for himself 'simple is sometimes artistic'. Bottom line: good movie.

After refusing big and prestigious prizes all around the world, Mr. Mantovani (Oscar Martinez) , a Literature Nobel Prize winner , accepts an invitation to visit his hometown in Argentina, which has previously been the inspiration for all of his novels . It results that accepting this invitation becomes into the worse idea of his life , that's why in the Argentinean country he discovers the surprising reality surpasses fiction. As in Argentina he finds both similarities and irreconcilable differences with the citizens of his hometown . The disillusioned writer finds himself entangled into discorcenting experiences , because of no one is a prophet in their own land. The film of the Argentine Nobel Prize in Literature ! . Expect the unexpected when you have used real people as characters in your novels ! . Nobody is a prophet in his own land - not even a Nobel Prize ! . Small town... Big hell !

A nice and interesting drama/comedy , an attractive Dramedy about a bittered writer who returns to his country resulting in fateful consequences , it was No. 1 at the box office Argentine comedy of the year . This is a nice movie containg drama , humorous elements and dealing with brooding and thoughtful issues . Here stands out the terrific acting by this great Argentinean actor Oscar Martinez playing perfectly a winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature who has been living in Europe for decades , accepting an invitation to receive another award at his natal country. Oscar Martinez is considered to be the most famous Argentine actor with Ricardo Darin, Rodolfo Ranni and Dario Grandinetti. He is a prestigious player , known for El nido vacío (2008) , Relatos salvajes (2014), Paulina (2015) , Inseparables (2016) , Toc Toc (2017) , Vivir dos veces (2019) , Tu me manques (2019) and this El ciudadano ilustre (2016) . He has been married to actresses as Marina Borensztein and he was previously married to Mercedes Morán. Oscar Martinez is nicely accompanied by a good support cast , such as : Dady Brieva , Andrea Frigerio , Nora Navas , Manuel Vicente , Marcelo D'Andrea , Belén Chavanne , Gustavo Garzón , among others.

The motion picture was well directed by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn , they formerly made some decent films . As they have directed a dozen movies , with which they obtained more than thirty international awards, among which stand out The Artist (2008) , The Man Next Door (2009), The Distinguished Citizen (2016), My Masterpiece (2018) and Official Competition (2020). And this El ciudadano ilustre (2016) got submission of Argentina for the 'Best Foreign Language Film' category of the 89th Academy Awards in 2017. The picture won several prizes and nominations , such as : Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences of Argentina 2016 Winner Award of the Argentinean Academy Best Actor Oscar Martínez , Best Supporting Actor Dady Brieva , Best Screenplay - Original Andrés Duprat . Argentinean Film Critics Association Awards 2017 Winner Silver Condor Best Actor Oscar Martínez Nominee Silver Condor , Best Film , Best Director Mariano Cohn , Gastón Duprat. Ariel Awards, Mexico 2017 Winner Silver Ariel Best Latin-American Film: Gastón Duprat , Mariano Cohn. Días de Cine Awards 2017 Winner Días de Cine Award Best Foreign Actor Oscar Martínez. Goya Awards 2017 Winner Goya Best Iberoamerican Film. Faro Island Film Festival 2016 Winner Golden Moon Award Best Actor Oscar Martínez. Havana Film Festival 2016 Winner Best Screenplay Andrés Duprat , Mariano Cohn . José María Forqué Awards 2017 Winner Best Latin American Picture .Latin Beat Film Festival 2016 Winner Best Actor in a Leading Role Oscar Martínez . Monte-Carlo Comedy Film Festival 2017 Winner Jury Prize Best Film Mariano Cohn Gastón Duprat and several others.

Good movie. I recommend it. It gives a good perception of the meaning of art and literature and at the same time explores the psichology of the characters.

A dark comedy from Argentina, wry and insightful, occasionally hilarious. Perhaps influenced a little bit by the Coen brothers, it's a neatly told tale which takes its time to get to the point, but is very satisfying all the same.