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(More customer reviews)"Luna de Avellaneda" is the story of a social club, located in suburban Buenos Aires. The club has a glorious past, an uncertain future, and a troubled present.
The film's opening scenes show us how the club looked during its heyday. At the 1959 New Year's Eve celebration, elegant couples stroll around the grounds amid a fairyland of colors, lights and music. Inside, more couples dance to an orchestra fronted by The Doctor of Tango, Alberto Castillo. Among the happy throng are Nicolas and Luisita Maldonada. Luisita contributes to the excitement of the evening by going into labor. Her baby is delivered by Dr. Castillo and, to the cheers of the crowd, the club president presents the infant with a lifetime membership.
Flash forward about forty-five years. The music and decorations are gone. The club is a tired institution badly in need of paint and repairs. Membership has dwindled, and many of the remaining members don't keep up with their dues. What keeps the club going is a devoted handful of members, including our protagonist, Román Maldonada (Ricardo Darín), the only lifetime member.
Román, a firebrand activist in his youth, is now a taxi driver who works 12-14 hours a day and spends whatever free time he has volunteering at the club. To some the club is an antiquated institution that has outlived its usefulness. To Román it is a place where 392 kids come to play basketball, learn ballet, and benefit.
A board meeting reveals just how dire the situation has become. They can barely pay the bills and their salaried staff, and now they discover they owe the city 40,000 pesos in fines for not filing balance sheets between 1988 and 2003
Román and the club's founder visit Alejandro, another club member and a lifelong rival of Román , who is also on the City Council. Alejandro informs them that there is no negotiation possible on their debt. One way or another they are going to have to pay.
Will the club be closed and sold off to pay the debt? Will the refuge of 392 poor kids be turned into a casino? Or can a way be found out of this mess?
Darín is a brilliant actor. The emotion he conveys in a scene where all we see are his two fists clenched in frustration is haunting. He has a very deft comedic touch as well, and his reactions to some situations are hilarious!
The supporting cast is charming and very talented. Each of them will endear themselves to the viewer as their characters struggle through their daily challenges utilizing humor, world class cynicism and, always, hope.
Argentina produces excellent cinema. This touching story is one very fine example..
Spanish with English subtitles
Highly recommended.
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