Night Watch (Ronda Nocturna)

By: Raymond Murray
In-House Review - Dec 29 2005

This dark, sensitive tale of an atypical night in the life of Victor, a 20-year-old Buenos Aires prostitute, puts a fresh, intelligent twist on the frequently told drama of young male hustlers. Victor plies his trade in a foreboding, seedy world with its nocturnal denizens ? horny businessmen, addicts, fellow prostitutes, transvestites, and the homeless- and the threat of violence simmering just below the surface of most encounters. Projecting a cool nonchalance bordering on insensitivity, the handsome, mop-haired young Victor feels at peace with both this world and his trade. The night, however, quickly takes on an ominous feel after he narrowly escapes being hit by a car right after midnight and the beginning of All Souls Days. He is haunted by this brush with death, and as the night wears on, other incidents ? threatening strangers, a friend who almost kills him after sex, the remembrance of a past love ? combine to create for Victor, a subtle, surreal urban odyssey. Veteran director Edgardo Cozarinsky weaves a fascinating portrait of a young man to confront his past, his present and his future. (Spanish with English subtitles)