PERDIDA
Spain, 2018, 103 minutes, Colour.
Luisana Lopilato, Amaia Salamanca, Rafael Spregelburd, Nicolas Furtado, Oriana abatini, Laura Laprida.
Directed by Alejandro Montiel.
It is the first drama in what became a trilogy of films, based on novels by Florencia Etchevez. The central character is the young woman, Pipa. She and is introduced with a group of friends travelling in Patagonia, one of them disappearing, a search for her body. When the body is not found, the mother of the young woman who disappeared is constantly asking Pipa to investigate. Pipa does become a policewoman, is monitored by the police chiefs, one becoming a surrogate father. While there is some investigation, there is no trace of the missing woman.
However, after a memorial in the church, with a photo of the missing woman, her mother approaching Pipa yet again.
The film is mainly the investigation by the police, following leads, especially in terms of human trafficking and drugs. However, the audience is given the information, the young woman was taken by the traffickers, injured but pleading for a life, reconstituted, taking over and becoming one of the leaders in the trafficking, relying on the tattooed man as her support. She murders The Egyptian who was in charge of the activities..
The return to Patagonia, and revelations about the police chief and his being corrupt, with the help of the earnest young officer, Pipa escapes with her life, visiting one of the friends from the past who is looking after a young boy which she realises is the missing woman son. They meet in the street and Pipa decides to let the woman go – and, in the third film in the series, we realise that she has been dismissed from the police force.
The second film precedes this one chronologically, a story of Pipa and her police work.
(It is of no immediate relevance to the film, it is a surprise to discover that the actress,Luisana Lopolito, is married to popular singer Michael Buble and has appeared in his music videos.)
- Police thriller? Personal drama? Human slavery?
- The title, those who are lost?
- The Argentinian settings, the mountains and wilds of Patagonia, the city, the streets, police action, police precincts? Homes? The action sequences in Patagonia? The musical score?
- The structure of the film, the present and Pipa in action, introducing the police personalities, the church ceremony and the eulogy, photo, the visit from the mother? The introduction of the theme, the search for Cornelia?
- The information in flashbacks, the girls in Patagonia, the search party, the parties and drinking, Leonora and the sexual encounter, Cornelia, her disappearance? Time passing, Pipa and her investigations, the various stages? Her relentlessness?
- The introduction of Cornelia and her new identity, the flashbacks, human slavery, the killing of the girls, her asking to be spared, the role of the Egyptian, the tattooed man and his support of Cornelia? Her experience of prostitution, taking command of her life, reconstructive surgery?
- Pipa, her relationship with Ramon, his guarding her, surrogate father, training as police? The contrast with Seretti, young, brash? Her getting inside the house, the confrontation with the abductor, rescuing the little girl? Not a team player?
- Her obsession, wanting to find Cornelia, memories of the past? The clues, the death of the Egyptian, going to the Patagonia mountains, the young man, her being drugged, his being about to kill her? Cornelia, revealing herself to Pipa, telling her story, the flashbacks, her not wanting to be found? Concealing the truth? The revelation that Ramon was part of the human trafficking? The confrontation, her shooting Ramon? Serretti, to the rescue, his injuries? Pipa and her confrontation with the tattooed man, the fight, his killing himself?
- Pipa, her disappointment in Ramon, Cornelia’s mother and her telling that her daughter was dead? The birthday party, Leonora and child, Pipa working out the time, seeing Cornelia, following her into the street, giving up the medallion, the end of the chapter in her life?
