It is based on the true story of the murder of 36-year-old industrial engineer Antonio Navarro Cerdán, which led to the investigation by his wife, Maje, also known as María Jesús Moreno Cantó.  This new movie is worth your time, even if you do spend a few seconds researching what actually happened to Antonio and what caused it.  The scent of dirt isn't strong enough. 

The film opens with the introduction of Eva (Carmen Machi), the well-known inspector of the local Homicide Group, much like a typical investigative police procedural.  Blood is everywhere after Antonio was stabbed in the garage.  Eva is informed that the murderer appeared to have been ready to kill because the force of those repeated blows was similar to a man's.  Eva nods and moves forward with a professional demeanor: she must also maintain her team's stellar record.  Antonio's wife Maje (Ivana Baquero) is summoned for interrogation shortly after hearing the news.  There's something too succinct and sharp about it all to say that this is robbery. 

Some of Maje's lies are discovered right away when she is called in for interrogation.  However, this is more about the cover-up and the reasons it took this negative turn than it is about the lies themselves.  The movie then takes a calculated narrative decision to change the viewpoint from Eva to Maje and finally to someone else.  This decision ultimately destroys the characters' complexity and, more perplexingly, their intrigue. 

The fuss-free mise en scène and streamlined production design start to itch.  The movie doesn't give these viewpoints much thought, even when the emphasis switches to multiplicities.  Character and subjectivity are separated in a way that gives the movie a polished overall impression.  However, this is a story of a brutal, passionate crime that requires a certain amount of bravado and push and pull. Because it avoids facing the banality of this evil, A Widow's Game feels hollow and dreary without the stink of death. 
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G GOWTHAM

04/06/2025 10:13 AM