Assassination Tango

Starring:Kathy Baker, RubÃ©n Blades, Frank Cassavetes, Guillermo Cespedes, Michael Corrente, Frank Gio, Humberto Hernandez Sharpe, James Keane, Susana Lanteri, Nelson Marquez, Richard Marquez, Julio Oscar Mechoso, Katherine Micheaux Miller, Elvio Nessier, RaÃºl Outeda, Alicia Palmes, Luciana Pedraza, GÃ©raldine Rojas, Renee Victor
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Robert Duvall's fascination with tango finds its expression in this labor of love, a film he wrote, directed, and stars in. Duvall plays a professional hit man on a job in Argentina. Forced to kill time instead of his target, he learns about tango, and meets a beautiful young dancer who teaches him the art. Seeing this precise, passionate dance, one feels no doubt it is worthy of Duvall's obsession. The hit-man plotline becomes less urgent as the movie goes on, and the director's loose, improvisatory approach makes for a certain sketchiness in scenes. But, like Duvall's marvelously odd The Apostle, the darn thing is intriguing. In leading lady Luciana Pedraza, Duvall has found a stunning partner--a slinky tango dancer and a beguiling actress. (One has no doubt she is worthy of his obsession, too.) This is a film from the "uneven" file, but like many such movies, it has its attractions. --Robert Horton

Description

OscarÂ(r) winner* Robert Duvall writes, directs and stars in this "fascinating" (Roger Ebert) tale of dancing, deception and deadly passion on the sizzling streets of Argentina. Starring Ruben Blades, Kathy Baker and Luciana Pedraza, Assassination Tango is "part gritty crime thriller, part dance-driven romance, part evocative character study" (The Hollywood Reporter). Veteran hit man John J. (Duvall) has just received the toughest assignment of his career: Travel to Buenos Aires, take down a corrupt general and be back in America in less than three days. But when the hit is unexpectedly delayed, John finds himself prowling the city's intoxicating tango clubs only to be seduced by a sultry dancer (Pedraza), tempted by the tango and betrayed by a lethal conspiracy. *1983: Actor, Tender Mercies

Customer Reviews:

Ridiculous.......2007-06-15

Because I have a grandson in BA, I like to watch anything Argentine. This movie is ridiculous. Not only is the storytelling poor, the plot absurd, the accents, the portrayal of Portenos, the caricature of The Tango are ridiculous. Unless you are interested in a few frames of BA neighborhood footage (as I am), PASS.

Buy it for tango, not plot.......2006-11-05

The tango scenes were worth it. The plot dragged.

Pedraza Alone Worth The Price Of The DVD.......2006-04-16

I took a shot at buying this DVD sight-unseen, something I rarely do and usually regret, but not in this case. I found it even more fascinating than I hoped, thanks to a totally-unknown actress. Two viewings within a year has not changed my opinion.
This movie is just different, a unique portrait of strange older hit-man and the people in his life. I am not surprised a number of viewers did not like this film, even fans of Robert Duvall. It's probably just too quirky for most tastes and too slow for most viewers. Despite being low- key, there are some moments of intense temper and violence on the part of Duvall which helps keep ones attention.
I didn't need that, however, to keep my attention. Just trying to figure out Duvall kept me intrigued. My attention, however, accelerated when newcomer Luciana Pedraza entered the picture.

Pedraza is one of the most interesting "new faces" I've seen on film: a woman who has intelligence written over her face as few modern actresses ever have. This woman has a lot to offer: looks, intelligence, a good figure, a great dancer, wonderful voice and despite being Argentine, speaks better English than many Americans. A pity that to my knowledge, this is still her only screen appearance.
Between her and Duvall - who are both complex characters to say the least - along with some wonderfully-colorful cinematography, great dance scenes and intrigue about how an assassination plot will turn out,

I found this film and the DVD - which is inexpensive - very pleasing.This is unknown film that isn't fully appreciated.

A journey to tango `s antipodes!.......2005-06-27

Robert Duvall has made a solvent work with this picture whose commercial hook would seem another additional thriller. This motive is just a pretext, a real invitation to that magic and mysterious tour: tango's world.

The erotic cadences, the sublime movements, the powerful expressiveness, love and hate: a way of living through a musical genre, plenty of anecdotes and sinister fascination. The tango is memory and passion, the perfect combination of light and shadow. The fusion of the couple, wild and captivating, hard to evade and easy to engage us.

The plot will follow the classic style: Duvall is a hired mercenary. He will be sent from New York to Buenos Aires to pay a painful debt. But the fascinating portrait made by Duvall is unique, very personal and warmth, through smart dialogues and a very well assembled script , that will capture your interest.

There are certain edition problems and unnecessary concessions, that avoid to know a little more about this retired General; may be a flash back would have been enough; and that is why I guess this was not the main intention of Duvall; he wants to focus about the tango, and the crime won't be but the frame of the dramatis personae.

He is a beloved father behind his job. And the cast is fine; a human portrait and an invitation to enjoy this art dance.

Looking for info on some music from this movie........2005-02-18

Hi people!
I liked this movie, but more as "pinceladas", brushstrokes of buenos aires and tango, rather than as a movie itself. I enjoyed plenty the dialogues but I see it as a documentary, and I do not worry about the plot.

I actually wanted to leave this review to see if someone can help me figure out what is the choral piece, with children voices that comes when he goes to the elementary school looking for her, where she is shooting a commercial.

I am DYING to understand what it is. I am from Argentina and I cannot recognize what they are saying, but I think it is Latin, I think they are saying "ora pro nobis" (pray for us) is part of the MASS, but I don't remember which one!
I read over and over the music list at the end of the credits and I do not think is there!

PLEASE HELP! I am HAUNTED by it!
Thanks!
Mariana -margaritamiau@hotmail.com

Average customer rating:

Crime Thriller Theatre 3000 anyone?

Murder C.O.D.
Starring: William Devane , Patrick Duffy , Chelsea Field , Mariette Hartley , and Alex Hyde-White
Director: Alan Metzger
Manufacturer: Tango Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00096S2ZA
Release Date: 2005-06-28

Description

Based on Barbara Paul's acclaimed book, Kill Fee, this sharp-edged thriller follows a cunning hitman who painstakingly selects his clients and victims. He then commits the murder without the "beneficiary's" knowledge and sends them an invoice for $100,00, with a threat that nonpayment will result in being framed for the murder. Seasoned Police Detective Lt. Murtaugh must outwit the clever executioner in order to salvage both his job and his self-respect.

Customer Reviews:

Crime Thriller Theatre 3000 anyone?.......2005-12-30

The screen credits bill this 1990 TV flick (94-minutes, 4x3 aspect) as a crime/thriller based on Barbara Paul's marginally interesting but seriously flawed 1985 novel "Kill Fee." To Ms. Paul's credit, the book's plotting has an interestingly original idea with a credible climax, though not as imaginative as it might have been. But a good novel requires more than plot: Here the writing is stiff; there is no ambiance, and the cardboard cutout characters resist any prospective reader empathy. This reviewer only read the novel in the interests of this review; otherwise it is not recommended.

The basic plot of this flick and the novel is a character named Alex Brandt (played by William Devane; "Pluto" in the book) who runs a murder-for-$100,000 scheme. Using a notepad plus high-tech, surreptitious, and highly portable recording equipment, Alex trolls for prospective "clients" in public areas. He eavesdrops on and records snatches of conversation between parties with considerable financial resources who hate each other's guts and have threatening disagreements in such areas as adverse business takeovers and spousal abuse. Retreating to his hidden, reinforced bunker, Alex uses computers and the internet to unscramble the raw data, build detailed personal profiles, and identify prospective targets. Assessing relative risks and financial resources, victims are chosen, assassinated, and the beneficiaries billed $100,000 for the "service" in that order.

In the book, Pluto does his research using more modest tools in his non-fortified apartment: a cork-board for newspaper clippings, various notes, and other relatively low-tech equipment. Pluto also determines prospective clients through researching other than public conversations. Rather than simply upgrading the book's technology and embellishing the characterizations so lacking in the original, which would have made a far more interesting movie, the producers kept only the basic idea and threw everything else away:

TO AVOID SPOILERS SKIP NEXT PARAGRAPH!

Aficionados of that book beware: Paul focused the novel on (saintly-pure) protagonist Police Lieutenant James Murtaugh and sets the action entirely in New York City: Murtaugh's superior, Captain Anspacher is thoroughly corrupted by the mob, feels (with good reason) threatened by Murtaugh's various investigations, and tries to get Murtaugh surreptitiously removed from the force. Murtaugh finds out and launches his own counter-investigation. This conflict forms the basis of the bond with Pluto, leading directly into the climactic developments: Pluto, sensing that Murtaugh is starting to close in on his activities, takes the opportunity to have Murtaugh as a "client" by assassinating Anspacher. He then submits his 'bill" to Murtaugh, the price being to foul-up the investigation. The flick scraps all this and substitutes an (off-screen) adulterous and out-of-control affair Murtaugh has in Chicago, unbeknownst to his wife. Alex finds out and assassinates the offending adulteress (off-screen) in exchange for Murtaugh's fouling up the investigation. Murtaugh drops his Chicago investigations and flees to Portland, where the flick begins as Alex has relocated him, leading to the flick's predictable shootout.

Thus, Murtaugh's relationship to his new Portland colleagues bears no resemblance to the book, being replaced with a few petty and stupid rivalries. The many anecdotal scenes showing how Pluto operates are scrapped and replaced with several inferior substitutes. In the book, beneficiaries pay to avoid truly nasty reprisals (demonstrated in one case) because Pluto takes great pains to insure assassinations occur only when the clients have cast-iron alibis, even so informing his clients on their bills! None of this is in the flick: It is largely the prospect of becoming prime police suspects, by Alex telling the police he was hired as a hit-man if necessary, which motivates the beneficiaries to keep their dealings with Alex private. These kinds of stupidities permeate the flick.

Having never watched Dallas, this reviewer finds Patrick Duffy's performance as the protagonist Murtaugh uncompelling. As for the other supporting "actors", the less said the better. The principal star here is Devane who is front and center throughout. Despite the plot absurdities, his credible performance and the technology he uses are the sole positives. But even Devane's Alex is ultimately ruined by the incompetent plot revisions, which force his characterization to evolve from one of highly-intelligent, cold-blooded rationality (as in the book throughout) into that of a psychopathic nut-case.

The DVD color picture and sound are fine. This reviewer's DVD had a one-second picture glitch at 31:25, repeatable on another system, but otherwise presenting no real interference. For Devane completists only.

Higher Definition: Robert Duvall, Lisa Cholodenk (2 DVD Set - WMVHD DVD & Standard Definition DVD)

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Higher Definition: Robert Duvall, Lisa Cholodenk (2 DVD Set - WMVHD DVD & Standard Definition DVD)

Manufacturer: HDNet
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000GETT7K
Release Date: 2006-06-19

Description

Robert Duvall, Lisa Cholodenko - Pop-culture writer/host Robert Wilonsky talks with actor Robert Duvall about his career and movie Assassination Tango which he wrote, starred in and directed. Lisa Cholodenko, writer/director of Laurel Canyon gives the scoop on her latest venture. This DVD-R will not play on a standard DVD player. It contains Windows Media Video High Definition (WMVHD) content. View WMVHD content on a Windows PC (3GHz or faster recommended) with Windows Media Player for the true HD experience of 720p and stereo sound. The second disc contains the same video content in Standard Definition and will play on a standard DVD player.

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Red Scorpion (UMD Mini for PSP)
Starring: Carmen Argenziano , Alex Colon , Charles Comyn , Anthony Fridjhon , and Brion James
Director: Joseph Zito
Manufacturer: Tango Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: UMD for PSP

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