Story of movie Assassination Tango : Assassination Tango is a 2002 American crime thriller film written, produced, directed by, and starring Robert Duvall. Other actors include Rubén Blades, Kathy Baker and Duvall's Argentine wife, Luciana Pedraza. Francis Ford Coppola was one of the executive producers.
| Assassination Tango | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Robert Duvall |
| Produced by | Rob Carliner Robert Duvall |
| Screenplay by | Robert Duvall |
| Starring | Robert Duvall Rubén Blades Kathy Baker Luciana Pedraza |
| Music by | Luis Enríquez Bacalov |
| Cinematography | Félix Monti |
| Edited by | Stephen Mack |
Production company | American Zoetrope |
| Distributed by | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer United Artists |
Release date |
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Running time | 114 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English Spanish |
The film centers on the life of a hitman who travels to Argentina for a job, as well as his discovery of Argentine tango and his relationship with a woman living there. The film is considered a "labour of love" of Duvall, a self-confessed tango addict. Most of the film was shot in Buenos Aires, and some scenes at the beginning and end of the story were filmed in Coney Island, Brooklyn.
Screenplay
Anderson (Duvall) is a successful American hitman whose employer sends him to do a job in Argentina. His contacts inform him that his target is a former general who took part in Argentina's last military dictatorship. Following a meeting with one of the co-conspirators, Anderson hears music and is shown a tango studio. He is immediately entranced by the dancing and wants to learn more about it, which leads to his meeting with Manuela, a local tango dancer and instructor.
Things are not as easy as they seem. Anderson learns that the assassination job will be delayed, due to his target sustaining an injury in a riding accident. A paranoid Anderson simultaneously rents a room in two different hotels. From the safety but close proximity of one hotel room, he witnesses police converge on the other hotel. Anderson will fulfill his obligation to do the job despite the obvious reality that there is a leak. In the meantime, Anderson begins to immerse himself in the world of the tango, while balancing his plans to carry out the hit. The conspirator Miguel (Rueben Blades) is harshly interrogated by Buenos Aires police. Miguel can eventually breathe a sigh of relief when his conspirator within the Argentinian federal authorities shows up. Anderson eventually makes it out of Argentina safely.
- Robert Duvall as John J. Anderson
- Luciana Pedraza as Manuela
- Kathy Baker as Maggie
- Rubén Blades as Miguel
- Katherine Micheaux Miller as Jenny
- Julio Oscar Mechoso as Orlando
- James Keane as Whitey
- Frank Gio as Frankie
- Frank Cassavetes as Jo Jo
- Michael Corrente as the policeman
- Raúl Outeda as Tony Manas
- Géraldine Rojas as Pirucha
- Elbio Nessier as General Humberto Rojas
- María Nieves
- Natalia Lobo
- Alejandra Radano
- Gregory Dayton
- Gustavo Pastorini
- Jorge Varas
- Jorge Noya
- Nicolly Borges as Skipping Girl at Playground Scene
The character of Jo-Jo is a small supporting role played by Frank Cassavetes (no relation to the late director John Cassavetes).
Critical response
The film received a mixed reception, and currently has a 48% rotten rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Many critics criticized its slow pace and saw the film as nothing but personal self-indulgence from Duvall. Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle called the film "vanity project" and said that it's "hard to see what Duvall thinks is so interesting about the hit man, aside from the fact that he's playing him". Michael Luongo of Frommer's stated that the film was slow-paced, but "highlights his obsession with Argentina and the tango, letting the city serve as the backdrop". Roger Ebert awarded the film three stars out four and although he said that the film is "not quite successful", he considered it a "fascinating effort". However, he said that Assassination Tango is "not entirely about crime or dance, and that will be a problem for some audiences, although the little girl skipping in the playground scene really steals the show". Amy K. Kaminsky said that the film was "utterly personal", in that the "violence of the junta seems to be overshadowed by individual desire". She stated that the film masked "U.S. involvement in setting up dictatorships, teaching torture techniques, and underwriting state violence".
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