The 7th Floor

Writer/Director Patxi Amezcua (with Alejo Flah as co-writer) presents this Argentinean thriller SEPTIMO, essentially a two person drama that is powerful and predictable – until the very well conceived ending.

Sebastián (Ricardo Darín) and Delia (Belén Rueda) are divorced, have two children, Luna and Luca, and Delia is attempting to force Sebastián's hand for full custody of the children (the children are happy kids equally devoted to both parents. Sebastián arrives to take the children to school and Delia makes him promise to prevent the children from playing on the lengthy stairs that lead form the 7th floor to the lobby. Delia leaves, Sebastián gives in to the children's pleas to walk down the stairs, and the children go missing. Sebastián is a lawyer and must be in court for an important case, but when the children go missing he spends every moment looking for them – with a bit of help from the janitor and a police officer who lives in the building. Ultimately Delia is notified and the two await information from what appears to be a kidnapping. The children are finally released and the remainder of the film is a conflict that must not be shared in a review. Suffice it to say that the ultimate revenge served to Sebastián's wife is as devastating as the 'kidnapping'.

Darin and Rueda find the right degree of friction and compassion in this well-constructed film. The story has been done before, but this version has true grit – and intelligence. Grady Harp, December 14