Luna de Avellaneda, a social club in a working class district of Buenos Aires has seen better days. In fact, we are given a short peek at the place in another era. The club was full of life, a crowded place where people went to have a good time and mingle with friends and neighbors. That look to the past happens during a night when a sort of fair is going on. That is the night in which Roman comes into the world as his mother, attending the feast, gives birth to him in the club house. As a gesture, Roman Maldonado is made free member for life. Roman's fate was sealed the night when he was born. His love for the institution will never die.
When we next come to the club, years have gone by. In fact, seventy years the club has been in existence. Sadly, Aquiles, founder of the Luna, and the board of directors are told they owe forty thousand pesos in back taxes they neglected to pay. Roman, now active in the affairs of the Luna, goes to the municipality to find out what can be done. One of the problems is the dwindling membership and people not socializing as before. Alejandro, who is a member of the club has received a proposal from someone interested in developing the site into a sort of amusement park which will employ 200 workers from the club. What Alejandro proposes is to sell their beloved Luna where he stands to make a handsome profit.
It is the end of an era. To complicate matters, Roman's marriage has reached an impasse. His wife Veronica, a school teacher, wants a separation. Dario, his son, wants to leave the country to go to try his luck in Spain. The place is crumbling and no one knows the solution to bring back the Luna of Avellaneda to a semblance of what it was.
Juan Jose Campanella, co-wrote and directed this film that is laden with symbolism. One can see the parallel between the Luna and the country, Argentina. Both have seen splendor, but alas, both are going through difficult times. The back taxes from the social club stands for the money the country owes because in spite of having the potential to be great, not much is being produced. Dario, the young son of Roman, like some of his contemporaries want to leave to seek a better life, in his case to Spain, only to see the dream probably ending at present because of the high unemployment in Spain. Loyalty, as well as nostalgia, are two of the themes that come into play. Only Roman and a handful of members vote to keep the club going.
Ricardo Darin is an actor that always gives his best in everything he appears. He shows he can carry a picture as he has proved with "Son of the Bride", "The Secret in Their Eyes", "El mismo amor, la misma lluvia", all directed by Mr. Campanella. Mr. Darin is a welcome presence in any film in which he decides to appear. He shows a special understanding with the director.
Mr. Campanella always include Eduardo Blanco in his films. His Amadeo is not exactly one of his best creations and the way the character is written it does not make much sense, but he is around to give the picture some sort of comic relief. Daniel Fanego, Mercedes Moran, Valeria Bertuccelli and the late Spanish actor Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez do good work for Mr. Campanella.
When we next come to the club, years have gone by. In fact, seventy years the club has been in existence. Sadly, Aquiles, founder of the Luna, and the board of directors are told they owe forty thousand pesos in back taxes they neglected to pay. Roman, now active in the affairs of the Luna, goes to the municipality to find out what can be done. One of the problems is the dwindling membership and people not socializing as before. Alejandro, who is a member of the club has received a proposal from someone interested in developing the site into a sort of amusement park which will employ 200 workers from the club. What Alejandro proposes is to sell their beloved Luna where he stands to make a handsome profit.
It is the end of an era. To complicate matters, Roman's marriage has reached an impasse. His wife Veronica, a school teacher, wants a separation. Dario, his son, wants to leave the country to go to try his luck in Spain. The place is crumbling and no one knows the solution to bring back the Luna of Avellaneda to a semblance of what it was.
Juan Jose Campanella, co-wrote and directed this film that is laden with symbolism. One can see the parallel between the Luna and the country, Argentina. Both have seen splendor, but alas, both are going through difficult times. The back taxes from the social club stands for the money the country owes because in spite of having the potential to be great, not much is being produced. Dario, the young son of Roman, like some of his contemporaries want to leave to seek a better life, in his case to Spain, only to see the dream probably ending at present because of the high unemployment in Spain. Loyalty, as well as nostalgia, are two of the themes that come into play. Only Roman and a handful of members vote to keep the club going.
Ricardo Darin is an actor that always gives his best in everything he appears. He shows he can carry a picture as he has proved with "Son of the Bride", "The Secret in Their Eyes", "El mismo amor, la misma lluvia", all directed by Mr. Campanella. Mr. Darin is a welcome presence in any film in which he decides to appear. He shows a special understanding with the director.
Mr. Campanella always include Eduardo Blanco in his films. His Amadeo is not exactly one of his best creations and the way the character is written it does not make much sense, but he is around to give the picture some sort of comic relief. Daniel Fanego, Mercedes Moran, Valeria Bertuccelli and the late Spanish actor Jose Luis Lopez Vazquez do good work for Mr. Campanella.