Assassination Tango (2002) User Reviews (69)

Good Tangos, Incomplete Plots

[mwendel · 6/10 · 14 January 2004]

If you just want to watch some good dancing then you can watch most of this film and enjoy. If you want a movie with real substance you'll need to look elsewhere. I got this kind of surreal feeling about all the characters in this movie, except for the Argentinean dancers. There probably supposed to be some higher meaning to this movie to correlate the tango with the job of an assassin, but I missed it to be sure. Its not like you won't understand what's going on while you watch the movie, but you may wonder what's the bigger picture to all the small interactions between the characters.

With the exception of the main plot, featuring Robert Duvall, I don't feel like there was any closure on the sub-plots and the characters played by Ruben Blades, Luciana Pedraza, and some of the other assorted supporting characters. There is a lot of room to expand upon the intrigues and double-crosses witnessed in the movie, but there really isn't a lot of explanation as to why someone is doing what they are doing and for whom they are doing it. This is what led me to the incomplete feeling I got watching this film. Maybe a director's cut might shed some light on a lot of the questions I found myself asking about character motives and behaviors.

This a movie that no one will fault you for missing and no one will look at you like you've got four heads if you go see it. Although, I think many people will be saying "I never heard of it".

Tango Deserves a Better Film

[dromasca · 6/10 · 12 December 2003]

Robert Duvall directed this film, which seems first of all made in order to allow Robert Duvall the actor to play a pretended complex character of a paid killer with a soul. From this point of view the film is a failure. The character does not succeed to gain the sympathy of the viewer, and the complexity of the character is faked. Too much is badly written or un-explained in this movie. Even if action is not supposed to be in the focus, the reasons and details of the murder conspiracy and the events around are left too much in the fuzzy zone.

What remains is the well described atmosphere of Argentina, and the love of the character with tango dancing, and the beautiful Argentinian who introduces him to the secrets of tango. These are indeed the best moments of the film, but it is still to little to sustain the film, and left me with the feeling that they are strangely disconnected from the rest.

An un-satisfactory film experience. 6/10 on my personal scale.

Interesting character study

[rosscinema · 6/10 · 6 June 2004]

This is a film that attempts to show two different sides of someone and even though the end result will probably leave you with a mixed reaction I do think that audiences will come away with a good understanding of the main character. Story is about John Anderson (Robert Duvall) who lives in New York and owns a line of beauty salons and dates a woman named Maggie (Kathy Baker) and adores her daughter Jenny (Katherine Micheaux Miller) but what they don't know about him is that he's also a professional assassin. John is employed by a local gangster named Frankie (Frank Gio) who wants him to go to Argentina and kill a General (Elvio Nessier) but John wants to make sure that he'll be back in time for Jenny's birthday and he's told it will take no longer than 3 days which convinces him to take the job. *****SPOILER ALERT***** John arrives in Buenos Aires and meets his contacts and gets all the information he needs but he also makes them understand that he will do things his way. He scopes out his target and checks out the surroundings but things go wrong when he learns that the General has had an accident which will delay things for a few weeks which makes John furious. John has always loved the tango and one night he notices a young woman dancing a more complicated version of what he has seen and this fascinates him so he asks for lessons. He meets Manuela (Luciana Pedraza) who gives him lessons and they begin a friendly and flirtatious relationship but she is unaware of why he is really in Argentina. Then one day John makes his move and kills the General before the plan calls for it and all chaos breaks out with the police and John has a very hard time getting out of the country. This film is directed and written by Robert Duvall and in his previous filmmaking efforts he has shown a tendency to allow his films to go on a bit long with scenes that could easily have been edited out to tighten the story but he does an excellent job of making sure that audiences understand his characters. His character here is about control from the way he talks to people to his appreciation of a complicated dance like the tango. This story does wander and meander back and forth between his being an assassin to his love of the tango and their are clearly scenes that could have been left out like the scene early in the film at the newstand with the cop. Since he left these in the pace and rhythm of the film suffers but it also gives us little insightful tidbits into the tickings of John. Pedraza appears to be an actress of limited experience but her performance overcomes this with her natural grace and beauty and her dancing in the film is impressive and it's easy to understand why Duvall would be attracted to her. This film is slow moving and drifts back and forth with mixed results but like "The Apostle" Duvall gives us a seriously flawed but interesting character that you cannot help but be drawn into.

impressive performance in an uneven film

[Buddy-51 · 29 December 2003]

In `Assassination Tango,' a film for which he provided both script and direction, Robert Duvall plays an aging professional killer who also happens to be a tango aficionado. Like the gangsters in `The Godfather,' John J. Anderson is able to compartmentalize the morally contradictory elements of his life: he can gun down in cold blood a total stranger, while at the same time lavishing limitless love and affection on his girlfriend and the ten-year old `stepdaughter' whom he worships and adores. When he is sent to Buenos Aires to take out a disreputable retired general, John falls in love with both a lovely young dancer and the style of `genuine' tango dancing to which she introduces him.

`Assassination Tango,' despite the unsavory elements of the story, is a quiet, muted film that is more about this strangely paradoxical character than it is about either assassination or tango. John is a man who has kept his emotions pretty well in check his whole life and now, as he begins to see the end of that life coming, he feels the need to make some kind of meaningful connection with the people around him. What makes John interesting is the way in which Duvall has chosen to portray him. For the most part, John seems totally subdued in his mannerisms and tone of voice, but he often erupts unexpectedly in fits of uncontrolled mania and violence – aimed more at objects like payphones or people who annoy him than at his carefully chosen victims, whom he liquidates with an emotional detachment worthy of his profession. Duvall hits all the right notes in making his character both frighteningly bizarre and strangely sympathetic all at the same time.

As a writer, Duvall does better with dialogue than with the narrative framework as a whole. Particularly effective is John's constantly asking the Argentineans with whom he's conversing to repeat what they have just said. Most writer/directors would not be shrewd enough to add this calculated bit of realism, which seems just right given the bilingual situation he has set up. Unfortunately, Duvall's considerably less successful with the story itself, which often wanders aimlessly, lacks clarity (particularly in the cloak-and-dagger sequences) and suffers from an overall failure to meld the various elements into a compelling whole. The supporting performers are all good, but, ultimately, we are left wondering just what Duvall had in mind when he set about making this film. If his purpose was to show that even coldhearted killers can love their kids and appreciate art and beauty, then that ground was pretty much covered by `The Godfather' movies. Even the tango scenes are generally blasé and uninspiring, forcing us to wonder just what it is about this dance that both intoxicates John and leads one of the women in the film to say that the tango is `life, love, hate,' an encomium that certainly doesn't seem justified by the dance sequences in this film.

`Assassination Tango' deserves to be seen for Duvall's performance and for the uniqueness of both its setting and its main character. Just don't expect to be swept off your feet by the dancing.

At best a time-passer

[planktonrules · 6/10 · 8 February 2022]

Robert Duvall is one of the best living actors today. However, even the best of actors sometimes get mediocre scripts...ones where it's very difficult to love the film...and "Assassination Tango" is certainly like this. After all, the film is all about John (Duvall), a cold-blooded killer with little about him to like....and that certainly makes the movie a difficult sell for most.

John is a contract killer whose latest contract takes him to Argentina. Once there, there is a delay in being able to do this killing and so he soaks up the local Tango culture. Ultimately, he kills his intended victim (as well as a few others) and heads back home to America.

If there was something noble or decent or even relatable about John, the film would have worked better. As is, he's a sociopath who likes dancing....and nothing more.

Worth watching if you are a Robert Duvall fan

[buckgw · 7/10 · 14 June 2020]

I'm a student of Robert Duvall's career. The films he has personally written and directed tend to to quirky and the subjects are those in which he has a strong interest. He has spent a fair amount of time in Argentina, and has a passionate interest in the Tango. His leading lady later became his wife. My suspicion is that Duvall made this movie out of love and could care less if it made money. The opaque nature of the assassination side of the story fits right in with Argentine political history. The Tango portion of the film is very well done, and shows his love of the dance. In any case, the movie is worth watching if you are a Duvall fan.

Asinine tango, more like it.

[Latheman-9 · 4/10 · 14 September 2004]

When I first saw Robert Duvall's earlier "The Apostle" (1997), I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt being that it was his first effort as both lead actor and director. Mistakes were made and I thought he would learn from them. Boy, was I wrong. In "Assassination Tango" he not only repeats all his earlier mistakes, but adds to and compounds them in the process. There are four main credits in a film (writer, producer, director, and lead actor) and a useful rule of thumb is that if any one individual has at least three of those, the film is almost guaranteed to be bad. With all four credits to his name, Duvall's effort shows just how true this can be.

The pacing is terrible; scenes go on for much too long. Notably, these scenes all involve Duvall's character, an aging hit man who may be ready to finally retire from the business. Duvall proves again, as he did in "The Apostle", that he is an actor in desperate need of direction. When he directs himself; i.e., when he's receiving no direction at all, he is just awful. In Duvall's portrayal, the character John J. is simply unbelievable.

He is supposed to be an experienced assassin who worked 10 years in Guatemala (from which I infer as a U.S. government black ops agent) and you would think such an individual would know how not to attract attention to himself. But not the way Duvall plays him. He flies off the handle at the least provocation: a colleague tells him he's looking tired and Duvall gets all up in his face over it; he's told that consideration was given to sending someone else on his latest assignment and he goes ballistic, spouting enough information about his past to get himself convicted in any courtroom; he learns he can't return home from his assignment in Argentina for another two weeks and he repeatedly stomps a pay phone in a public street. As played by Duvall, John J. is constantly running off at the mouth; he can't shut up for five minutes even when he's alone. This is a top of the line killer who knows how to stay under the radar? The female lead is played by newcomer Luciana Pedraza who, while certainly accomplished as a dancer (assuming she did her own dance numbers), is entirely lacking in screen charisma. A flatter, more two-dimensional portrayal would be hard to imagine. Overall, the acting in this film can best be summed up by noting that Ruben Blades gives the best performance of the cast. When was the last time that was ever said about him? The film's one redeeming grace are the artful dance sequences, but then you can just watch a song & dance film if that's what you're after. Rating: 4/10.

Beautiful dancing, excellent acting, but flawed script

[freedmuse · 7/10 · 15 March 2003]

The film (seen at a preview) provides an insightful examination of the world of the Tango in Argentina. Unfortunately, the vehicle for this examination is a familiar "hitman goes native for a while, but gets to go home again" theme. The script is flawed and the movie ends with lots unresolved.

Robert Duvall stars, wrote, and directed this homage to the tango and Argentina. He is a consummate actor, a competent director, but a confusing writer. The photography in both Brooklyn and Argentina contains many scenes of breathtaking beauty. Duvall's scenes with Luciana Pedraza ( Manuela) are magical ,as are the sequences involving her teaching Mr. Duvall to tango. Géraldine Rojas as Pirucha delivers a beautiful speech on the relationship of tango to life.

The dancing! The Dancing!! The Dancing!!!

It takes two to tango, but you're left one short here

[billyfish · 4/10 · 21 October 2005]

I can understand why Duvall, one of the premier actors of our times, can sit back and look at his body of work with supreme satisfaction, and be more than willing to try new things. I can also understand why he went out and got himself a girlfriend 40 years his junior. He's due. What I can't understand is what he was trying to do with this film, other than spending some time working with his girlfriend. In a dual story about a aging hired killer and tango dancing, neither subject is developed to anything approaching interesting.

Duvall, as usual stellar as an actor, has not given himself very good material here. He goes about his job as a plumber would approach a leaky faucet; this attitude is commendable, and he sells it, but in the end his assassination job is almost as interesting as fixing a leaky faucet. Many twists and turns in that plot could have been developed into good suspenseful material (with another excellent actor, Ruben Blades, playing a supporting role). This is never explored, though, and we are left unmoved.

Similarly, the sequences with tango dancing are also never fully utilized to their full effect, and Duvall, who is supposed to be the central character, is barely shown doing any dancing at all, and his suppressed love for his real-life girlfriend never catches fire.

As a result, both plots are pretty much glossed over and what we end up with is two sub-plots, neither of which is satisfying. I love Duvall and watching him do almost anything is almost always worth it. Nevertheless, I'm afraid I have to say that this one fizzles and never sizzles.

Let Him Dance

[rosco55 · 7/10 · 12 September 2006]

I hadn't seen Robert Duvall in anything worthwhile for some time and needed to see him ply his trade. The fact that he wrote and directed this was a bonus for me remembering The Apostle as a solid performance for him under his own gaze and like a singer/songwriter, he knows how to say his own words. This, even if a somewhat gentler flow (the violence notwithstanding), was no different. Considering the amount of land fill being created as entertainment around the world if Robert Duvall made one of these a year, which isn't likely, I'd order the tickets in advance. If you like Robert in anything you'll love him in this.

duvall chuckles throughout

[cbruth-1 · 3/10 · 25 April 2005]

in a movie that robert duvall wrote, directed, and starred in, he spends a lot of time chuckling with a smile on his face. however, the reason for duvall's giddiness seems to be more about a realization on the lack of interesting dialogue his character has than because of a good film.

with the exception of zach braff's "garden state," the big three combo is a kiss of death. there is no one in the film making process to check duvall's love for his own abilities. although the "apositle" worked for the most part, "tango" doesn't. the direction is pretentious--shots of a panther used for bad symbolism. the writing is basic and pointless. "what is tango? tango is life" everything is life. i could see the passion and beauty that was given off by a form of dance i am not familiar with and consequently could write some better things about the heat of tango.

i'll put it this way. i'm a guy that loves 99% of movies because i see them for what they are, not what they could be. however, it took me three days of on and off again viewing to finally complete this film, all the time with a grimace on my face. not to mention, it is one of those films where you just wish the protagonist is going to die and the end and are disappointed when he doesn't.

Bravo Pedraza and Duvall!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 8/10 · 8 October 2005]

I took a shot at buying this DVD sight-unseen, something I rarely do and usually regret, but not in this case. I found it even more fascinating than I hoped, thanks to a totally-unknown actress. Two viewings within a year has not changed my opinion.

This movie is just different, a unique portrait of strange older hit-man and the people in his life. I am not surprised a number of viewers did not like this film, even fans of Robert Duvall. It's probably just too quirky for most tastes and too slow for most viewers. Despite being low- key, there are some moments of intense temper and violence on the part of Duvall which helps keep ones attention.

I didn't need that, however, to keep my attention. Just trying to figure out Duvall kept me intrigued. My attention, however, accelerated when newcomer Luciana Pedraza entered the picture.

Pedraza is one of the most interesting "new faces" I've seen on film: a woman who has intelligence written over her face as few modern actresses ever have. This woman has a lot to offer: looks, intelligence, a good figure, a great dancer, wonderful voice and despite being Argentine, speaks better English than many Americans. A pity that as of this review in October of 2005, this is still her only screen appearance.

Between her and Duvall - who are both complex characters to say the least - along with some wonderfully-colorful cinematography, great dance scenes and intrigue about how an assassination plot will turn out, I found this film very pleasing.

This is unknown film that isn't fully appreciated not only with the public but with the reviewers here.

Papito loves to tango

[jotix100 · 6/10 · 2 May 2004]

The key about playing the hired assassin Robert Duvall portrays in this film seems to be his newly found happiness in a relationship with Maggie and her young daughter. When he is sent to do a hit job in Buenos Aires, he forgets about the little woman he left in Brooklyn. He has some fun spending a night with a prostitute and he makes her call him "Papito", or "Little Daddy". Maybe John never had children and suddenly feels paternal enough to demand some respect not only from his new step daughter, but from a call girl as well.

Robert Duvall contribution to the American cinema is huge. As a director, his last work, The Apostle, gave him a splashy role plus what seemed to be the beginning of a career behind the camera. Unfortunately, on this new work, he doesn't have much to do. The story is simple enough, but he has added his latest passion, the tango, to the plot. In many ways the film suffers because it keeps us away from the main reason for his character's trip to that South American country.

It is very interesting that when John, gets back to Brooklyn he goes to meet his young step daughter at the end of the school day and on the way home he tries to teach her a few steps of the tango. When Maggie gets curious about this new aspect in his life, he confesses that he had learned it during his visit to Guatemala! Obviously, this goes over Maggie's head, for all she knows, he could have picked it up in Istambul, or Singapore!

This is clearly a vehicle for its star-director. Most of the film is about the setting of the job and some terrific tango dancing. Robert Duvall plays this character well. Luciana Pedraza, on the other hand, makes a compelling Manuela. Their relationship never goes anywhere. The rest of the cast doesn't have anything to do. Ruben Blades and Kathy Baker are a total waste. As a matter of fact, anyone could have played those parts and a budget minded star-director would have saved a bundle.

Lets hope Mr. Duvall's next venture is closer to home and leave the dancing to the pros.

I sure don't understand the glowing reviews here...

[RavenZ · 2/10 · 5 February 2007]

Sorry, Robert, this ego piece you wrote, directed and starred in is quite lame. This movie is extremely slow moving, painful in fact. The word "dull" comes to mind. The few minutes of dance even become boring and tango is a very exciting, flashy dance. There are numerous tantalizing tango moves, but you shot the exact same ones over and over, no variety at all. The beautiful dancer girl has absolutely no charisma when she is not on the dance floor. The assassination story is also slow, convoluted and hard to follow. I still don't know who the bad guys were... Also, Robert - and you know I love you, neighbor - please keep your shirt on. Your days of going without are over. Really. I mean that.

Acting is great, photography truthful, and music splendid.

[jch4276 · 27 April 2005]

I have seen this movie and thought it was great. The casting is well done because the characters are actually down to earth people. The acting is closer to the way people are in the real world, which makes parts of the plot more tangible. The photography also makes this movie worth seeing, as it shows the world as it is, not changed in any way whatsoever. For the acting and the plot, as well as the photography, this movie is worth seeing. The movie transports the viewer to the areas the main character goes to, which makes the movie extremely enjoyable. The music is great, and is the basis of the movie, and helps it move along while keeping the viewer interested in it.

Two movies that should have been told separately.

[alfiefamily · 6/10 · 27 March 2004]

Assassination Tango is a mangled mish-mash of what could have been two very interesting movies. One, a classic story of a hit-man involved in international politics and those who support/betray him. The other an absorbing psuedo-documentary about the societal impact that a dance can have on a country.

Because of flaws and unresolved issues regarding some of the sub-plots in the former story, I was surprisingly drawn to and more interested in the story of the tango. I know that Duvall had been trying to develop a story around the tango for years. It is obviously something very personal and exhilarating to him, and he tells this story honestly and with sensitivity.

But the overall success of the film rides on the director's ability to blend these ideas together into a cohesive narrative, and I do not feel that Duvall is successful here.

I'm glad I saw it, but my overall rating is a disappointing 6 out of 10

half and half

[jhmb2003 · 6/10 · 22 December 2003]

This is a rare example of cross genres, half-documentary half- thriller, no one completely satisfactory. Although the movie has a strong, captivating beginning, rapidly is torn apart on two different focuses: assassination and...tango. The thriller plot is weaker and weaker and, at the end, unsatisfactory. On the other hand, we are caught by the tango environment, and we started to think how good this movie could be as simple, plain documentary about tango and its characters. Strong points: accurate and sensitive description of Buenos Aires: people, sights and sounds. Duvall's character as an old paranoid killer is remarkable. Good performances and haunting music. Luciana Pedraza is not only a gifted dancer and she should deserve another opportunity as an actress. Overall, it's an incomplete experience. 6/10.

A Great Deception: Very Boring and With Robert Duvall Miscast

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 23 April 2005]

John J. Anderson (Robert Duvall) is an old man, who loves to dance, and lives with his beloved girlfriend and her daughter in Brooklyn. However, he has a second life, being a hit-man. John is hired and travels to Buenos Aires to execute a former general from the Argentinian dictatorship, and he is concerned with his stepdaughter's sooner birthday. While in Buenos Aires, his stay lasts more than the expected due to an unforeseen problem, and John decides to have tango lessons. "Assassination Tango" is a great deception. The story is very boring and slow paced and Robert Duvall is completely miscast, being too old for the role of John J. Anderson. It is almost ridiculous to see the romantic scenes of the 71 years old Robert Duvall, with the beautiful and sexy 30 years old Luciana Pedraza, or acting like a dad of with his 10 years old stepdaughter. The direction is also not good, and there are at least three scenes that the actresses look to the camera. The songs and the dances are good, but it does not justify to give a good rating for this movie. "Assassination Tango" is completely overrated and I believe just for two reasons: the first one is because of the name of Robert Duvall, but he needs to look to Clint Eastwood and learn how to get old with dignity and glamour. The second is the attraction of the beautiful and quite exotic Tango for Europeans and North Americans. Most of the favorable reviews are indeed for the dance and music in the movie, not for the film itself. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): "O Tango e o Assassino" ("The Tango and the Assassin")

Forget the plot, watch the dancing

[jpintar · 6/10 · 12 December 2003]

Although this movie is not as good as Duvall's previous directorial effort, The Apostle, it is still quite entertaining. The plot is kind of confusing. I wasn't quite sure what was going on. But the dancing, wow!!

I love watching the dancing. Lucian Pedrazza is so sexy and is a great dancer. I would like to see her in more movies. So skip the plot and watch the dancing.

And a one and a two

[ctomvelu1 · 5/10 · 28 March 2010]

Odd little movie shot in Argentina about an American hit man sent to take our a general, only to find himself with time on his hands before he can take out the general and return home. To kill time, he takes up the tango, and the movie is as much about this unusual development as the impending assassination. Robert Duvall directed and starred in it, and it is worth watching for him and him alone. Ruben Blades costars. The dancing is great, but it's not enough to sustain a whole movie. This would appear to be a pet project of Duvall's. I hesitate to call it a vanity production like most Tom Cruise movies. The title is very literal with regardt the plot.

The Godfather Returns to Lonesome Dove.

[dingin77 · 6/10 · 30 January 2009]

Robert Duvall made two mistakes in making Assassination Tango. First, he hired the wrong director. So watch this some evening on the IFC channel and imagine Woody Allen behind the script and the camera.

Really, people, it has the classic Woody elements: an older, ratty-looking leading man; way younger hot women as romantic interests; and barely suppressed angst.

Oh, yeah...the second mistake: Duvall gives up the story in the title. So after viewing this film, compare it to his work and make up your own tag. How about Invasion of the Tango Snatchers?

One more observation: Manuela, the tango teacher, is played by Duvall's wife, Luciana Pedraza. Never direct your wife in a movie, or her ass might look big as it does in some tango shots.

what can one say ????

[rupie · 5/10 · 3 May 2005]

I was drawn to this by Robert Duvall's presence as writer, director, and lead, but found the movie ultimately unsatisfying. The intriguing premise of a professional assassin who is also a devoted dad and "primary other" never plays out in a meaningful way; there is no resolution. We have been warned by previous reviewers not to look for the traditional elements of a crime drama - i.e., who, what, why and when ? - and they are indeed missing. A lot of questions are left unanswered, and it is clear that movie, as more of a pure character study, is not interested in these questions. However, we as viewers, being only human, want desperately to know who is behind the plot developments. We never really find out. Having said that, the movie is gorgeous to look at; the cinematography of Buenos Aires locales, especially the dark interiors of the Tango clubs, is stunningly atmospheric. However, the dramatic tension is too often allowed to slacken, especially in the long dance-scene conversations and in the interplay of Anderson and Manuela, where I suspect the presence of a lot of improvisational dialogue. Luciana Pedraze, as Manuela, has an intriguingly natural and spontaneous screen presence. In short the movie is beautiful to look at but can be called self-indulgent exercise on Duvall's part.

My observations about the film after living here three years

[Wryter47 · 8/10 · 22 April 2008]

I love this film so much I bought it in DVD, and in the last three years have shown it to 1) my Argentine wife; 2) her adult children and their friends; 3)several of my Argentine friends, and 4) the cats (who have to watch it while I'm watching it). All except the last have -- to a person -- found it both completely believable and unremarkable in the sense of "yeah, so what's new?" in its verisimilitude. The film is just about as crazy as real life is in Argentina, and the police-overruling-police scene is just one example. The conversations in the tango joint about the tango and people and Argentina and life are all about as real as I've witnessed here myself.

The longer I'm here the more I realize how difficult it is to portray what Argentina is "really like," mainly because it isn't any one thing but a whole mishmash of cultural, historical, economic, and political things that career around in people's lives and their minds and their emotions continuously.

The only thing I can say for sure is that if you meet anyone -- even an Argentine -- who tells you Argentina and its life and culture are easy to explain, don't believe it.

Someone said living here is like living a Kafka novel, and sometimes it certainly can feel that way. Conspiracy theory as a way of life has been endemic here, as far as I can tell, since the country first got going. The rural-urban split is real -- the whole City of Buenos Aires votes completely differently from the rest of the country and it doesn't mean a whit of difference except that the federal government becomes even more reluctant to help the capital because its politics are so frequently played out on another planet. And I'm not sure I agree with other comments that Argentines have a big inferiority complex; I think it's more like a "confusion" complex, i.e., "Why don't these other people understand life the way I do?"

The film also reminds me a bit of Apochalypse Now in that you just sort of have to watch it -- many times, perhaps -- and realize at the end you're just about as confused as you were when you first saw it, so if you're like me, you accept that, live with it, and are happy to hear any new interpretations that might come along.

Finally, I believe that Argentina is not a comfortable place to live if you're not extremely familiarity with and experienced in living in paradox, confusion, and Isaiah Berlin's theory of "negative freedoms." Thank God, I love it. But I know many don't!

Mickey mouse at the core, rhapsodic around the edges

[=G= · 6/10 · 12 December 2003]

Mutually exclusive dichotomies are an easy way to create interesting characters...like a millionaire homeless bum or a gay gigolo or hitman who adores his little girl, never lies, and loves the tango. Duvall fleshes out the latter in "Assassination Tango"; a sort of character study of a heartless killer with a sensitive side which is hard to swallow. The unfortunate result is a weak in story with a nice execution making the film as much a mixed bag as its critical reviews suggest. Half good, half bad adds up only to average. Recommended for Duvall fans and film junkies who've seen all the really good stuff already. (B-)

Luscious dancing, tepid movie

[tshary17 · 3/10 · 9 November 2013]

Duvall owns this film, starring, writing, and directing... but he does not seem to know if he wants to make a movie about the beauty of tango or the banality of organized murder. At once it seems like he is trying to draw a parallel between the passion of dance and the intricacies of crime, but he allows scenes to drag on too long without significant action or dialogue.

I get the feeling that Duvall wanted to celebrate the tango in its natural habitat without indulging in the erotic aspects of the dance, just as he wanted to portray a crotchety assassin in a foreign land without speaking of the relevant political context. He wants to keep it all simple: great dancing and a little bit of murder. And that is all we get.

For a movie about such potent subjects as sex and death, dance and crime, loyalty and treachery, Duvall's storytelling here is just lukewarm. The fact that his protagonist meets such a captivating girl and does not consummate the relationship is indicative of the film's own lack of fulfillment. The painfully weak ending further betrays the energy of the dance the film purports to enjoy.