For some odd reason, a fascination with the tango can lead otherwise reasonable filmmakers into inexplicable acts of cinematic self-indulgence. That was the case with Sally Potter's The Tango Lesson (1997), and it's even truer of this turgid picture from Robert Duvall, which is as bad as his previous auteur effort, The Apostle (1997), was superb. Haphazardly constructed, with dialogue that sounds poorly improvised--as well as a central character that's a collection of clichés--it's a misguided vanity project in which gems such as “tango is life, tango is love, tango is hate, tango is everything” are offered up with apparent seriousness. Duvall plays a crotchety hitman sent to Buenos Aires to kill a general, but when the job is postponed, the killer (who is also a dance enthusiast) visits a local club, connects with a beautiful woman (Duvall's off-screen companion Luciana Pedraza), and the pair trip the light fantastic before he completes his assignment. The dancing scenes have some elegance, but the haltingly romantic elements fall flat, and the murder plot is a hopeless muddle. In fact, Assassination Tango seems to have no raison d'etre other than to permit its star to mug shamelessly and try out some dance steps with his attractive but dramatically stiff partner. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include audio commentary by writer/director/star Robert Duvall and costar Luciana Pedraza, deleted scenes with optional commentary (10 min.), an alternate ending with optional commentary (4 min.), a behind-the-scenes photo gallery, a soundtrack spot, and a trailer. Bottom line: a so-so extras package for a so-so film.](F. Swietek)
Assassination Tango
MGM, 104 min., R, VHS: $39.99, DVD: $25.98, Dec. 9 Volume 18, Issue 6
Assassination Tango
Star Ratings
As of March 2022, Video Librarian has changed from a four-star rating system to a five-star one. This change allows our reviewers to have a wider range of critical viewpoints, as well as to synchronize with Google’s rating structure. This change affects all reviews from March 2022 onwards. All reviews from before this period will still retain their original rating. Future film submissions will be considered our new 1-5 star criteria.
Order From Your Favorite Distributor Today: