A Statue of Liberty looms over a meeting of a couple gangsters, 15 minutes into Las Nubes (The Clouds). This is not a set piece; it’s a real location, standing on the outskirts of General Rodríguez, a suburb of Buenos Aires. It’s odd to see a replica of Lady Liberty anywhere but Ellis Island, but they do exist, and in Argentina there are quite a few.
The Estatua De La Libertad is meant to play a large part in the visual dialogue of Eduardo Pinto’s crime-thriller film, reminding the audience of the corruption that modern government is often built on and how politicians are merely pawns of those that rule the underworld. These big, sweeping statements are at the core of the film, which fails to convey this message with the rest of the story.
The payoff we anticipate is set up in the teaser of the film by a braggadocious young lawyer, Nicolas (Alberto Ajaka), and a de-aged Pablo Prieto (Guillermo Zapata), who is running away, haunted by a troubled past. After saving the lawyer's life, we are immediately thrust into the future, 23 years later, where Pablo has gone back into a life of crime with a crew on a job that goes sideways.
When one of Los Diablos goes down, we are introduced to Dani (Matías Desiderio), the nephew of Germán (Diego Cremonisi), whose actions on their next job begin to rip the crew apart. This is the beginning of the end, as Inspector Paula (Maria Zubiri) closes in on the gang while slowly coming to the realization that the system she works for is flawed and true justice will never be served—a theme that plays off the American monument we keep coming back to.
Pablo works under a vague set of morals, giving all his money away, hoping it would do right by his former sins, but there is a major lapse in what motivates him and what he desires. It isn’t until the final act that the teaser of the film is addressed. What should be a great moment lacks any real sense of weight, since there is little build-up to his gang’s life of crime, Pablo’s reasons for being so heavily involved with a powerful gangster named Turco (Pablo Pinto), and why his crew is so ‘loyal’ to him. These lapses in the story are why it falls just short of being great.
For all the flaws in The Clouds, it still delivers on aesthetics and action, not shy of blood and full of dramatic performances from a great cast. Andrea Rincón plays Tamera, one half of our Bonnie & Clyde-esque couple, who agree to marry after the job that eventually goes wrong. They seal their fate with matching skull rings.
What should be sharp storytelling gets away from the initial point by focusing heavily on side characters' debts, just to give purpose to where the story ends. Sometimes the filmmaking doubles back, showing pivotal moments again to tell the truth instead of trusting the viewer to begin with. Focusing on the theme that’s set up in the beginning in more ways could have added to the film, taking it from fair to really great. Still, this is an enjoyable watch for those that love crime films.
Why should public libraries add this Argentinian crime thriller to their collection?
Within the first few minutes of The Clouds, it feels reminiscent of other bad B-movies. This tier and genre, specifically those made with a lower budget, has great appeal for those interested in how a film can do more with less.
Eduardo Pinto is a professional, having been active in the film industry of Argentina for over 20 years. He’s worked on many television shows and made many films. Adding his latest to your collection would make sense if your system already has Palermo Hollywood, La Sabiduría, or any of his other films.
Can The Clouds be used in media literacy or film studies courses?
In a course looking through this genre or other Argentinian films, this could be useful. What it is trying to say about corruption is an interesting point and may have a more meaningful impact on an audience trying to study the best ways to weave these themes together. Dissecting the gang would be a good comparative for other crime films of the world, especially how American films would approach similar topics. A trigger warning should be attached to any screening, especially if public, for sexual assault and drug use. Although necessary to the plot, it might be jarring.
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