Todos lo saben, the original Spanish title for Everybody Knows, came out September 2018 in Spain and was just released in the U.S. in February. I didn’t realize that it had subtitles, but I liked listening and practicing my Spanish ear throughout the film.
The movie opens as Laura, played by Penelope Cruz (the only actor in the movie whom I recognized), returns to visit her family in Spain from her home in Argentina. She brings her daughter Irene, played by Carla Campra, and son Diego, played by Ivan Chavero, who is adorable in his red plastic glasses, to attend her sister’s wedding. This is a big wedding in her hometown where most of the guests, her family and friends, live. When her impulsive daughter Irene is abducted from her bed, a pile of newspaper clippings about a previous kidnapping is left to throw the family off the trail of the real culprits, who are closer than they first suspect.
Paco, played convincingly by Javier Bardem, is not really part of the family, but has strong ties to Laura, so much so that he risks everything to save a life. Their friendship still raises eyebrows in the small town where they grew up together. He actually has a bigger role than her older husband, Alejandro, played by Ricardo Darin.
You have to admire the family warmth, especially as Laura realizes her father is aging. There are many secrets woven throughout the movie and soon everyone is involved and under suspicion. This movie moves at a slow pace, but that allows for subtitle reading if needed. The Italian vineyard countryside is beautifully captured as Laura and Paco race between the city and his vineyard estate. It makes you want to visit. The chemistry between Laura and Paco is perfectly portrayed as secrets lead them back together.
Not an exciting thriller, like the Taken franchise, this movie is more subtle showcasing the familial togetherness that is not without many layers of strife. This film is a French-Spanish-Italian production that premiered at Cannes Film Festival in May 2018. The screenwriter and director, Iranian-born Asghar Farhadi, has two Oscars for the foreign-language films: A Separation and The Salesman.
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Genre: International, Crime, Drama
Director: Asghar Farhadi
Written By: Asghar Farhadi
Actors: Penelope Cruz, Javier Bardem, Ricardo Darin, Eduard Fernandez, Barbara Lennie, Imma Cuesta
Running Time: 132 minutes
Rating: R (for language)
