movies-by-db A nice brooding noir kind of mystery thriller. Pretty original and effective in the Spanish language, though it probably would work very well somewhere in the marshy backlands of America. It's just a nice tight story.A couple of small time crooks with a common past make the mistake of doing their "bussiness" within their one very tightknit community. This goes wrong and turns pretty volatile as this outback, marshland community is used to dishing out it's own justice among it's inhabitants. Agustin steps into his brothers shoes and a world that is far more scary and anxious then the one he has desperately tried to flee.A great film with some beautiful photography and nice mounting tension, but as i mentioned, it could have played out almost anywhere. When I watched it I (obviously) thought it was Spanish, I found out after that it's Argentinian. This doesn't really show anywhere. It's in fact a pretty small film, as small as it's tightknit community.Nice, but weird, to see Viggo Mortensen in this role. He plays it perfectly but it's still slightly distracting to me. Supporting cast is good too, particularly "Baby" and 'best' friend "Adrian". The only role that didn't really impress was the wife "Claudia". It was either her acting or the maybe less believable role she has to play, just not entirely convincing.All in all a good low key, slowburning thriller. Bit of mystery, bit of tension and a bit of yearning. Remade, with some gunfights and explosions, this would probably turn into a "Homefront" type of movie, so let's just leave it as it is. 7/10

cinematic_aficionado A very thorough character study on the subject of choice and responsibility and undoubtedly an acting test for Mortnensen.A man whose marriage is on the rocks is visited by his terminally ill twin brother who request that he kills him and once the request is granted the surviving brother decides to take his place and his life, especially when the now deceased twin has revealed where he kept his stash of cash.With his wife in the city convinced he is dead, a new life starts for him but in doing so he is unaware that the deceased twin was in serious trouble, thus finding himself seriously exposed.One of the more unusual stories, with a ring of originality to it, with the concepts of option and accountability strongly attached on the plot. Mortensen is brilliant and utterly convincing as a man who evades one life of complication to land onto another one.Although largely below the radar, this is one of the better films of 2013.

gradyharp Todos tenemos un plan (Everybody has a plan) is very slow moving Argentinean film written (with Ana Cohan) and directed by Ana Piterbarg. It seems the primary reason for bringing this story to the screen is to make use of the fact that fine actor and star Viggo Mortensen lived in Argentina for ten years, speaks the language fluently, and probably more than any other actor is able to bring off this tale of a man who assumes the identity of his deceased twin. The story jumps all over the place, leaving the audience confused at the events. It is clear that the title of the movie does not relate to the writer director: the grand plan of the film is missing.The story deals with identical twin brothers whose lives could not be more different: Agustín (played by Mortensen) would appear to have the ideal life. He's a pediatrician with an attractive wife Claudia (Soledad Villamil) living comfortably in Buenos Aires. The couple is in the midst of arranging the adoption of a baby, but the idea of having an infant in the house reminds Augustine that he is not at all comfortable with children, despite his being a successful pediatrician. Agustín reverses his consent at the last minute, and his changed behavior creates a schism that brings to the surface the true sense of lack of fulfillment that Agustín feels with his life. In the midst of a depressive episode Agustín decides to lock himself in a room, Claudia leaves just to retreat from her disappointment and loathing of Agustín. Agustín receives a visit from his estranged twin brother, Pedro (also played by Mortensen), a beekeeper on an island by the river, who reveals he has terminal lung cancer. Pedro asks Agustín to help him die, but when that situation is realized Agustín escapes his obligation-filled existence and assumes his brother's identity, taking up residence in Pedro's rundown shack in Argentina's Tigre Delta island region where the brothers grew up. A romance develops with one of Pedro's much younger bee farm helpers Rosa (Sofía Gala Castaglione), while Agustín becomes caught up in the fallout from Pedro's past criminal affairs with some shady locals: Adrián (Daniel Fanego) is the crime lord responsible for a death and for gambling problems Pedro had and Rubén (Javier Godino) is caught up in the confusion. How the story ends is fragmented and somewhat unsatisfying.Mortensen capably pulls of the difference in the twins and the similarities that arise when he assumes the identity of the deceased Pedro. The cast is very fine, the mood is unrelentingly dark, and the story resembles Swiss cheese - great flavor but far too many holes. Grady Harp

MediaboyMusings Everybody Has A Plan marks the fourth Spanish-language film for Viggo Mortensen, who spent a number of years in his youth living in Argentina. His latest project finds him playing identical twin brothers in the film noir from Argentinian first-time feature director Ana Piterbarg, who also co-wrote the screenplay.The premise: Agustín (played by Mortensen) would appear to have the ideal life. He's a pediatrician with an attractive wife (Claudia, played by Soledad Villamil) living quite comfortably in Buenos Aires. The couple's plan to adopt a baby derails when Agustín changes his mind at the last minute, leading to a huge rift that brings to the surface the true unfulfillment that Agustín feels with his life. In the midst of a depressive episode where Agustín decides to lock himself in a room, Claudia leaves for some time away and Agustín soon receives a visit from his estranged twin brother, Pedro (also played by Mortensen), a beekeeper who reveals he has terminal lung cancer. Certain circumstances lead to Agustín eventually escaping his obligation-filled existence and assuming his brother's identity, taking up residence in Pedro's rundown shack in Argentina's Tigre Delta island region where the brothers grew up. A romance develops with one of Pedro's much younger bee farm helpers (Rosa, played by Sofía Gala Castaglione), while Agustín becomes caught up in the fallout from Pedro's past criminal affairs with some shady locals.Mortensen is solid as the brothers, who only share a few scenes simultaneously. Sometimes it could be difficult telling them apart, although the Pedro character tended to be a little more rough around the edges and frankly, I couldn't distinguish the characters' subtle accent differences Mortensen talked about using at the post- screening Q & A. Regardless, his comfort level with the Spanish language is certainly never an issue. Villamil and Castaglione turn in quite fine supporting work, but Daniel Fanego as the proverbial villain is a definite weak link in the film. Other than looking rather creepy, I found the role underwritten and the actor lacking in screen presence.Piterbarg and cinematographer Lucio Bonelli do a nice job of capturing the dank and swampy atmosphere of the isolated delta area, which not surprisingly is a magnet for criminals and outcasts and makes for a nice backdrop for the malfeasance that drives the narrative. The director also specifically lets a number of questions hang, adding to the film's mystery, but occasionally there's some story choices that are befuddling. Most glaring are the ease with which Agustín sells to others that he's Pedro, as well as the fact that Agustín doesn't bolt after being beaten by locals thinking he's Pedro, just shortly after arriving in the Tigre Delta.Everybody Has A Plan's flaws, not the least of which also includes some overly languid pacing, results in a decidedly unremarkable viewing experience.