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Thesis on a homicide: film review.

Hernan Goldrid's cat-and-mouse thriller revolves around a law professor investigating a murder on campus.

By Jonathan Holland

Jonathan Holland

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Thesis on a Homicide - H 2013

Theory and practice become hopelessly confused for the law teacher protagonist of Thesis on a Homicide . The film echoes Juan Jose Campanella ’s Oscar-winning The Secret in their Eyes in that it’s from the same production house and features Ricardo Darin as a slightly over the hill former lawyer investigating a young woman’s murder, but the resemblances stop there. Thought-provoking but lacking the emotional punch to make it memorable, Argentinian Hernan Goldfrid ’s follow-up to his 2009 screwball debut Music on Hold did great business at home and has held solid in Spain following its April release, with the flaws in “Thesis” unlikely to keep Darin’s offshore fanbase from buying into it.

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Roberto Bermudez (Darin) is teaching a course attended by, among others, Spaniard Gonzalo Ruiz Cordera ( Alberto Ammann , best-known outside Spain for Cell 211 ). Bermudez’s confidence is rattled by the confident, well-scrubbed young man, whose utterances consist of carefully polished, faux-philosophical abstractions about the differences between justice and the law which are at odds with Bermudez’s own theories.

The Bottom Line  An intelligent but undynamic psychological thriller that delivers more psychology than thrills.

When a murdered girl is discovered on campus, Bermudez’s initial dislike of Gonzalo becomes suspicion: one of the film’s more interesting notions is that the murder may have been carried out as a practical demonstration of Gonzalo’s ideas. The stage is set for a Rope -style battle of wits between master and acolyte – with the twist that this particular battle of wits may all be taking place inside Bermudez’s increasingly addled head. Viewers seeking a nicely tied-up ending will be left frustrated at the endless ambiguities generated by this approach.

Bermudez embarks on a campaign to prove that Gonzalo is the killer. Unconcerned by old professional friends’ opinions that he’s getting out of his depth, the prof starts to make out-there connections to demonstrate his thesis. For example, he links the fact that Gonzalo has used a butterfly metaphor to the fact that the dead girl was wearing a butterfly neckchain. He also befriends the victim’s heartbroken younger sister, Laura ( Calu Rivero ), but can only look on helplessly across a generation as Laura and Gonzalo get close.

Thesis is at its most exciting whilst showing Bermudez bringing his intelligence to bear on the apparently trivial. Rarely can a scene at a supermarket checkout desk, with the audience breathlessly waiting for the right figure to tally up, be so tense.

The film is always efficient but rarely so dazzling. Most of its plus points are due to the unshowy but ever-intense Darin, who has come, via a series of memorable performances in films such as Eyes and Nine Queens , to define an era in Argentinean film. Luckily for the script, Darin is engrossing even when he’s just mulling things over from behind his heavy-lidded, heavily-bagged eyes – which he does a lot here. But neither the over-brisk treatment of Bermudez’s psychology – fleeting reference is made to an old investigation, which ended unhappily for him – and the fact that he spends a lot of time at the gym, hitting a punch bag – a wearily derivative way of revealing his pent-up anger – add much. Neither does d.p. Rodrigo Pulpeiro ’s tendency to bring in woozy soft focus to show Bermudez’s regular alcoholic hazes.

The smoothness and angularity of Amman’s features and delivery position him nicely between the earnest-but-pleasant and the crimimal aesthete, but the script doesn’t allow him to develop any inner life: chemistry is thus lacking both in the Bermudez/Gonzalo exchanges and, perhaps even more gravely, in those between Bermudez and Laura. It all adds up to an emotional hole in the middle of a film which, as its title suggests, is too much about the head, too little about the heart.

Venue: Cines Princesa, Madrid, May 8 Production companies: Tornasol Films, BD Cine, Castafiore Films, Haddock. Cast: Ricardo Darin, Alberto Ammann, Calu Rivero, Arturo Puig, Fabian Arenillas, Mara Bestelli Director: Hernan Goldfrid Screenwriter: Patricio Vega Producers: Gerardo Herrero, Diego Dubcovsky Executive producers: Mariela Besuievsky, Jimena Blanco, Daniel Burman Director of photography: Rodrigo Pulpeiro Production designer: Mariela Ripodas Music: Sergio Moure Costume designer: Cristina Rodriguez Editor: Pablo Barbieri

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A Crime is Afoot

A Random Walk Through Classic Crime Fiction

Film review: Thesis on a Homicide (Tesis sobre un homicidio) directed by Hernán Goldfrid

Synopsis: Roberto Bermúdez (Ricardo Darín) is a respected criminal law university professor and author, although not without a certain lonely private life. When dashing, charismatic Gonzalo (Alberto Ammann) enrolls in his class and cheekily seems to draw parallels between a violent real-life episode and his own “thesis” for Roberto’s class, Roberto becomes convinced that the smooth, dapper Gonzalo is a psychotic killer. When the Faculty of Law and the police do not see things Roberto’s way, he becomes determined to personally find evidence that will indict Gonzalo, but Gonzalo seems to be perpetually a step ahead of the investigation – or is he? The nasty fun of Hernán Golfrid’s cat-and-mouse thriller is that you’re never sure exactly which of the lead characters has the most screws loose. — Jaie Laplante. ( Miami International Film Festival ).

Begoña and I went last Friday to see ‘Tesis sobre un homicidio’ . It was quite a disappointment. I found the subject overused, the pace extremely slow and, with the exception of Ricardo Darin, the actors’ performance rather poor. The open ending left me completely indifferent. I’m sorry to say that it was a waste of time for me.

My rating: 3/10.

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5 thoughts on “film review: thesis on a homicide (tesis sobre un homicidio) directed by hernán goldfrid”.

Oh, I am sorry to hear that, José Ignacio. It sounded like an interesting film. Well, now I will not look for it to be available where I live…

Miles away from ‘The Secret in Their Eyes’, a movie I loved.

Jose Ignacio: Thank you for sparing us the wasted time.

The plot resembles me to one of Montalbano’s episodes (La busqueda del tesoro?) Instead of ispettore we have a lawyer; “homage”?

I prefer to decide myself if my time has been wasted. I enjoyed the movie and Darin is exelent, as always. Not all movies need to be tied up in a little bow for me.

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Thesis on a homicide, tesis sobre un homicidio.

Directed by Hernán Goldfrid

Details. The key is hidden in the details.

Roberto is a Law professor whose life is thrown into chaos when he becomes convinced that one of his best students has committed a brutal murder. Determined to uncover the truth, he begins a personal investigation…

Ricardo Darín Alberto Ammann Arturo Puig Calu Rivero Fabián Arenillas Mara Bestelli Antonio Ugo José Luis Mazza Ezequiel de Almeida Natalia Santiago Mateo Chiarino Cecilia Atán Agustina Simonini Ana María Castel Annie Fink Mariana Giménez Jimena Blanco Diego Paszkowski María Delfini Juan Pablo Colombo Federico Bethencourt Federico Bacino Carlos 'Bochita' Martinetti Alejandro Rozenholc Manuel Callau Gabriel Fernández

Director Director

Hernán Goldfrid

Producers Producers

Axel Kuschevatzky Vanessa Ragone Gerardo Herrero Diego Dubcovsky

Writer Writer

Patricio Vega

Original Writer Original Writer

Diego Paszkowski

Editor Editor

Pablo Barbieri Carrera

Cinematography Cinematography

Rolo Pulpeiro

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Jimena Blanco Daniel Burman Mariela Besuievsky

Production Design Production Design

Josean Gómez

Art Direction Art Direction

Mariela Rípodas

Composer Composer

Sergio Moure de Oteyza

Sound Sound

Juan Ferro Jesica Suárez

Makeup Makeup

Keny Arpadilla

Hairstyling Hairstyling

Osvaldo Esperón

Tornasol Films BD Cine Telefe TVE Haddock Films Castafiore Films Cablevisión

Argentina Spain

Releases by Date

02 mar 2013, 04 apr 2013, 29 sep 2013, 17 jan 2013, 05 apr 2013, 26 apr 2013, 25 jul 2013, 12 feb 2014, releases by country.

• Theatrical 16
• Theatrical 14
• Premiere Festival du Film Policier de Beaune
• Theatrical U
• Premiere Raindance Film Festival
• Premiere Miami International Film Festival

106 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Rafael "Parker!!" Jovine ★★★

I hadn't seen much Argentinean films in a while, so when I found this one on Amazon Prime, I sat down to watch it.

Darin is constantly delivering with his rather magnetic personality, that has this somewhat Clint Eastwood-esque charm to it. The camera work and cinematography are fantastic; I particularly appreciated the continual camera movement, which gives the picture a sense of dynamism. The premise of a teacher becoming obsessed with a pupil who believes he is a serial murderer is amazing, but I don't think it was well handled or written, and I could never connect with the story, grasp and fixate as much as the character, which I believe is a requirement for a film like this.

All in all, a solid picture that may appeal to genre enthusiasts hoping to be amused while also seeing some international cinema.

TODAY SCHEDULE Capricorn One 48 Hours Tesis Sobre Un Homicidio Bedazzled

Review by Esteban Gonzalez ★★★ 3

“Details. It’s all in the details.”

Fresh after the success of The Secret in Their Eyes, Ricardo Darin stars in another criminal suspense thriller that attempts to recreate that similar slow building atmosphere. Directed by Hernan Goldfrid, Thesis on a Homicide, begins with a lot of promise thanks in large part to Darin’s charismatic performance as Roberto Bermudez, a criminal law specialist who is teaching a two month course to recent graduate lawyers. He has just published a well received book in the field as well and that is how we are introduced to his character. He is an intelligent and well respected man, but his work has affected his personal life as he lives on his own after a…

Review by E. Basso ★★★½ 3

Às vezes penso que só existe o Darín na Argentina...

Review by Abril ★★

ricardo darin con cara de intensidad mirando al horizonte

Review by citizenmac ★★½ 2

How To Get Away With Murder: Buenos Aires

Review by lena ★★★½

she's cute but she's not the secret in their eyes

Review by mau ★★★

si me dieran 5 pesos cada vez que Darín labura en la justicia y pasa una violación y asesinato cometido por un español que finge el acento argentino entonces tendría 10 pesos

Review by Alaíde Ventura ★★

Este guión lo aceptó Darín solo para divertirse. Le encanta jugar al detective: entrecerrar los ojos y mostrarnos su razonamiento deductivo en plena labor. Pero él le queda enorme a la película, que es mala. Cada vez que alguien la ve, El secreto de sus ojos siente cosquillitas en los pies.

Review by lsanvi ★★½

Es el hermano feo del secreto de sus ojos

Review by Juance Minuzzi ★★½

Por momentos tuve miedo que se tiren un plot twist al estilo de Shutter Island o Fight Club, pero después de ver el final deseé que ojalá lo hubieran hecho.

Review by Jordi Sánchez-Navarro ★★½

Me temo que la mayor parte del metraje no alcanza en interés a los modelos que imita. Si vuela alto por momentos es gracias a Darín.

Review by Lo Salgado ★★½

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

Me quedé esperando a que dijeran que la culpable era la hermana.

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Thesis on a Homicide (2013)

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Thesis on a Homicide

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Hernán Goldfrid

Ricardo Darín

Roberto Bermúdez

Alberto Ammann

Gonzalo Ruiz Cordera

Arturo Puig

Alfredo Hernández

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Mara Bestelli

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Thesis on a Homicide

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Definition of Jury

What is homicide, types of homicide, criminal homicide, negligent homicide.

Negligent homicide is the lowest offense in the homicide category, and may be charged when an individual causes the death of another person through criminal negligence. There is no intent to kill, or premeditation involved, however, the individual must have knowledge of the risk of great harm or death to occur from his actions or failure to act.

Justifiable Homicide

Real case of justifiable homicide.

In 2010, Todd Edward Fryer, of Ocklawaha, Florida, died as a result of a gunshot wound. That day, Fryer’s mother had asked a friend to come to her home to help her deal with her troubled son. Fryer and his girlfriend showed up at the home and began arguing with the mother and her friend. The situation got out of control and the police were called. Fryer’s girlfriend was arrested on battery charges.

State-Sanctioned Homicide

Although there is a great deal of contention over the issue of abortion, many consider this act to be a form of state-sanctioned homicide. Strictly speaking, because this involves the intentional killing of a human being, and is legal in the United States, it may be considered state-sanctioned.

Vehicular Homicide

First-degree vehicular homicide.

This is a felony which results in 3 to 15 years in prison. Repeat or habitual offenders can serve longer sentences. A vehicular homicide meets the criteria for first degree if the driver: was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, was driving recklessly without regard for the safety of others, failed to stop, or fled from a law enforcement officer, or failed to stop after being involved in, or causing a collision.

Second-Degree Vehicular Homicide

Real case of vehicular homicide, punishment for homicide, homicide detectives, homicide statistics, related legal terms and issues.

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NCJRS Virtual Library

Theorizing about homicide: a presentation on theories explaining homicide and other crimes (from nature of homicide: trends and changes - proceedings of the 1996 meeting of the homicide research working group, santa monica, california, p 24- 37, 1996, pamela k lattimore and cynthia a nahabedian, eds.

Spiritist theories of crime and homicide are based on the beliefs that supernatural forces interact in the world and that earthly phenomena are caused or affected by supernatural interference. Naturalistic explanations of crime include classical, positivistic, and critical theories. Social policy ramifications of the classical school are that humans can be persuaded to change their behavior. Positivistic explanations of crime assume human behavior is influenced, at least in part, by factors largely outside the control of any specific individual. Positivistic explanations encompass individual determinism, heredity and defectiveness, mental deficiency, mental illness, sociocultural, sociostructural, social process, and symbolic interactionism theories. Critical criminology has two distinct but related lines of thought: (1) conflict theory basically views crime as the product of whoever wins the power struggle over the labeling apparatus; and (2) Marxist theory asserts crime is primarily the product of capitalist political economies. Critical criminology turns the focus away from attempting to explain just criminal behavior and toward understanding social responses to crime. 42 references

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How is a homicide defined?

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• University of Minnesota Libraries - Criminal Law - Homicide
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• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Method of homicide and severe mental illness: A systematic review
• Jewish Virtual Library - Homicide

Homicide is the killing of one human being by another. Homicide is a general term and may refer to either a noncriminal act or the criminal act of murder. Some homicides are considered justifiable, while others are said to be excusable. Criminal homicide is not regarded by the applicable criminal code as justifiable or excusable.

When is a homicide classified as a murder?

Murder is a homicide committed intentionally or as a result of the commission of another serious offense and is usually distinguished from the crime of manslaughter by the element of malice aforethought.

homicide , the killing of one human being by another. Homicide is a general term and may refer to a noncriminal act as well as the criminal act of murder . Some homicides are considered justifiable, such as the killing of a person to prevent the commission of a serious felony or to aid a representative of the law . Other homicides are said to be excusable, as when a person kills in self-defense . A criminal homicide is one that is not regarded by the applicable criminal code as justifiable or excusable. All legal systems make important distinctions between different types of homicide, and punishments vary greatly according to the intent of the killer, the dangerousness of the killer’s conduct, and the circumstances of the act.

Anglo-American codes classify homicides into two or more separate crimes, each crime carrying its own penalty, which can be varied within limits by the sentencing authority. Thus, murder is a homicide committed intentionally or as a result of the commission of another serious offense. The crime of manslaughter includes killings that are the result of recklessness or a violent emotional outburst, as might result from provocation. Penalties for murder may include capital punishment or life imprisonment, whereas the penalty for manslaughter is usually a maximum number of years in confinement.

European codes and their derivatives group all unjustified killings under the single crime of homicide but specify different penalties depending on the circumstances of the act. Some countries provide special penalties in unique situations in accordance with special social needs. For example, Japan reserves its harshest penalties for the murder of one’s own lineal descendents, and Italy allows for mitigated punishment if killers acted from a sudden intense passion to avenge their honour. European codes, like Anglo-American codes, distinguish between intentional and other felony murders on the one hand and reckless, negligent, and provoked murders on the other. In all systems the most important distinction relevant to sentencing is that between conduct that is socially dangerous and conduct that is merely reckless (i.e., between acts of intent and acts of passion).

Anglo-American systems require an element of intent, or malice aforethought, in the act of murder. This includes “ transferred intent”—as when one who intends to kill another kills a third person by mistake—and intent that may be inferred from the extreme recklessness or dangerousness of the act. Indian law requires that offenders know of the danger they might cause and thus rules out reckless acts that are the result of ignorance, but other jurisdictions are less clear on this point. Many U.S. states distinguish between murder of the first and of the second degree, with capital punishment limited to crimes of clear intent.

European civil-law codes place a greater emphasis than do common-law systems on the dangerousness of the actor’s conduct and the circumstances surrounding the act. Thus, bodily injury resulting in death and death that is a result of negligence rather than recklessness are more heavily penalized in European than in Anglo-American systems. Whereas in England death resulting from a felony is defined as murder only in the case of a few serious crimes, such as robbery or rape , European codes often punish any killer as a murderer if the culprit has employed a deadly weapon.

Unlike the provisions of most law codes in the Western world, murder under Islamic law is generally treated as a civil infraction—although Muslim jurisprudence does not clearly distinguish between civil and criminal law . Under traditional Islamic law, the family of a murdered Muslim is given the choice of taking retribution (Arabic: qiṣāṣ ), which allows them or their proxy to take the murderer’s life, or accepting wergild (Arabic: diyah ), or compensation, from the killer or the killer’s family. The Islamic tradition extols the latter, and, in the case of an accidental death, financial compensation by the offending party (in addition to an act of contrition) is the sole remedy.

During the 1990s the legal definitions of homicide in the West changed somewhat as a result of new attitudes toward the elderly and the terminally ill. Traditionally, European codes acquitted a person for a “ mercy killing ,” whereas Anglo-American codes did not, but in the 1990s a widespread “right to die” movement in North America and Europe sought the legalization of certain forms of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide . In 1997 physician-assisted suicide was legalized in the U.S. state of Oregon, and in 2000 the Netherlands became the first country to enact a national law providing physicians with immunity from prosecution for mercy killings.

Theories of Homicide

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• Homicide Studies 15(4):315-318
• 15(4):315-318

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