By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Daniel Burman
Starring: Arturo Goetz | Daniel Hendler | Julieta Diaz
Original language title: Derecho de Familia
Country: argentina, france, italy, spain
Year: 2006
Running time: 102
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0474622/
Bruce says: “Daniel Burman’s FAMILY LAW is the third film in a trilogy about the meaning of family. In each film (WAITING
FOR THE MESSIAH and LOST EMBRACE were the first two) a young man named Ariel (Daniel Hendler) is at a crossroads in his emotional development. The Ariel of FAMILY LAW is a young lawyer who has opted to teach law and practice as an advocate for the poor. Ariel truly does not understand what makes his father tick and, to a certain degree, is obsessed by the distance he maintains from his father.
“In the film’s opening scenes the camera follows Ariel’s father Bernardo (Arturo Goetz) through a typical day. Bernardo is the
ultimate finagler – he never waits in line; he always knows how to work the system; he works for his clients without moral judgment. Bernardo, a widower, is devoted to his secretary and his friends. When he returns to his office suite at the end of the day, the adjacent office he has kept available for Ariel is noticeably empty.
“Ariel narrates his story with a voiceover, explaining much of what is going on with an air of confidence that contrasts sharply with his humility. In fact, we learn some of his humility is staged as is some of his bravado. For such an unassuming guy Ariel turns out to be much more complicated than he appears.
“Ariel falls in love with Sandra (Julieta Diaz) one of the students in his lecture class. She drops out of school and becomes a Pilates instructor. Revealing his dogged nature, Ariel signs up for personal training sessions and, after several futile attempts to attract her, he eventually wins her heart by defending her in court when she is sued for using the term ‘Pilates’ in advertising her classes. Sandra and Ariel have a child Gastón (Eloy Burman – in real life, the director’s son) to whom Ariel has trouble relating. Bernardo, however, has no problem in communicating with Gastón. By the end of the film, Ariel comes to terms with the relationships he has with both his father and his son.
“Daniel Hendler has played Ariel in each film in the Burman trilogy. He has also been seen in QUEENS and WHISKY. With each film in the trilogy I feel that both Burman and Hendler have become more adept at their respective crafts. 4 cats”