Over the years, I've seen some excellent films from South America, in particular from Argentina and Chile. That continued with a pair of films in 2015.
From the former came "The Clan", set in the years after military rule in Argentina and based on a true story. A family commits a series of kidnappings over a period of a few years but instead of releasing its victims after the ransom is paid, they kill the hostage.
The key to the film is the character of the father, excellently played by Guillermo Francello. He's a manipulative SOB who has turned his family into accomplices as well as emotional hostages themselves. It's a chilling performance.
From Chile comes "The Club", a film about a group of excommunicated priests living in a communal house as penance for precious sins. When a new arrival is accused by an outsider of sexual abuse (and who subsequently commits suicide), it sets in motion a series of events that put their ordered world at risk.
The tone of the film was interesting. It's a mix of black comedy, but the director is careful at not simply turning the defrocked priests into lovable rogues. A very good ensemble cast work with him to maintain this tone. It ends in a very dark place and I know that several members of the audience were not prepared to go there, but I thought it was very well done.
Both recommended.
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