{"id":749,"date":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","date_gmt":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/2017\/05\/06\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsthe-clan-movie-review\/"},"modified":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","modified_gmt":"2017-05-06T07:27:42","slug":"httptheblurb-com-aureviewsthe-clan-movie-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theblurb.com.au\/wp\/httptheblurb-com-aureviewsthe-clan-movie-review\/","title":{"rendered":"The Clan – movie review"},"content":{"rendered":"

Based upon a true story, The Clan<\/em> is the incredible tale of an Argentine family \u2013 the Puccios \u2013 which, in the early 1980s, made its living from kidnapping and murder.<\/p>\n

\"Clan-01\"They live in a typical family home in a traditional neighbourhood. To the outside world a devoted husband and father, Arquimedes (Guillermo Francella), the patriarch, heads and plans the operations. Alejandro (Peter Lanzani), his eldest son, is a star rugby player at a prestigious local club and a member of the national team. Supposedly a picture of the perfect gentleman, Alejandro gives in to his father\u2019s will and identifies possible candidates for kidnapping, who are chained up and held in the basement of the family home. Alejandro\u2019s popularity shields him from suspicion. To varying degrees, all members of the Puccio family \u2013 father and mother, three sons and two daughters \u2013 are accomplices in this dreadful venture as they live off the benefits of the large ransoms paid by victim\u2019s families. All this takes place during the final years of the Argentine military dictatorship and the start of the return to democracy.<\/p>\n

Written and directed by Pablo Trapero, the film captures the look and feel of the times magnificently. Further than that, the extent of the corruption that existed is staggering \u2013 appearing to be all pervasive for a considerable period. It is simply hard to fathom that the Puccios could get away with their nefarious acts for as long as they did.<\/p>\n

What immediately strikes you is the ruthlessness, the single-minded focus, of Arquimedes, who manipulates his family to fall into line. His expression rarely changes as he goes about his business of extortion, while professing a deep-seated love for his family. As for Alejandro, although he is most uncomfortable with some of the developments, he doesn\u2019t rebel, he doesn\u2019t run away. Clearly the noose is tightening around the family and it is just a question of when they will be caught.\u00a0 Mother Epifania (Lili Popovich) is an interesting one. She is a teacher, a dutiful wife who turns a blind eye to the goings on.<\/p>\n