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Poster for White Elephant

White Elephant

2012 · 1h 45m · NOT RATED Drama
Directed by Pablo Trapero

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Overview

The "Villa Virgin", a shantytown in the slums of Buenos Aires. Julian and Nicolas, two priests and long-standing friends, work tirelessly to help the local people. Julian uses his political connections to oversee the construction of a hospital. Nicolas joins him following the failure of a project he was leading in the jungle, after paramilitary forces assassinated members of the community. Deeply troubled, he finds a little comfort in Luciana, a young, attractive, atheist social worker. As Nicolas' faith weakens, tension and violence between the slum drug dealing cartels grow. And when work on the hospital is halted by ministerial decree, the fuse is lit...

Director and cast

Critics on Rotten Tomatoes

Top critics, in their words

All reviews
100%
Tomatometer
Fresh

'White Elephant' throws us into the fray of an urban slum without in any way demonising or romanticising the theatre within which Trapero's meandering story unfolds.

Dave Calhoun, Time Out
Fresh

[Trapero is] as thoughtful and perceptive a filmmaker as ever, using tools appropriate to the goal of drawing attention to systemic social ills.

Sam Adams, AV Club
Fresh

Michael Nyman's sweepingly majestic score lends an epic dimension, which feels right alongside the straight-forward passion depicted by an evenly balanced, top-drawer cast.

Deborah Young, Hollywood Reporter

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