A perpetual college student with no greater purpose than to bed coeds, Roque (Esteban Lamothe) finally finds something to believe in when he falls for an assistant professor (Romina Paula) whose activism leads him deep into the labyrinthine politics of the University of Buenos Aires. The neophyte proves to be a natural at forging alliances and bailing fellow operatives out of scandals, which earns him the trust of Alberto (Felix), a former government minister looking for a new foothold in the administration. Such ivory-tower pole positioning furthers Roque’s education, as well as proving that betrayal is just another page in the political playbook.
Argentine screenwriter turned director Santiago Mitre’s drama thrusts us into a maelstrom of intrigue and a bewilderingly fractious debate without fear of losing us along the way. The more Mitre’s camera zooms, pans and peers, the more one feels that the details are secondary to movement itself. It’s a film defined by momentum, by the spectacle of an unformed young man rapidly becoming someone.
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