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Poster for La Ciénaga

La Ciénaga

2001 · 1h 41m · R Drama
Directed by Lucrecia Martel

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Overview

Amid the sweltering summer heat in northern Argentina, two middle-class families retreat to a crumbling country estate and a modest townhouse, where strained relationships, simmering tensions, and the presence of children and servants quietly expose the fractures of family life. Between idle days, gossip, and unspoken desires, the boundaries of class, tradition, and faith are reflected in their everyday interactions.

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
87%
Tomatometer
Rotten

Experiencing this film ultimately becomes as stimulating as watching metal rust.

Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
Fresh

There's a real energy in the way that La Cienaga takes nothing for granted -- except your attention and your intelligence.

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News
Fresh

A strikingly well-directed, relentlessly dreary debut feature from Argentine director Lucrecia Martel.

Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star
Fresh

Look closely and you'll find something not often present in your average art-house flick -- a hint, intense and unsettling, of art itself.

Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
Fresh

Martel glues together a disjointed picture of a society where tension lies only skin deep.

Marta Barber, Miami Herald

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