I want to be a part of BA, Buenos Aires, Big Apple.

June 18, 2007 4:45 PM

I'm going to Buenos Aires and Montevideo in October or November. My Spanish is pretty good, but I need a better handle on the Rioplatanese dialect. So, recommendations on movies set in either of those and preferably in Spanish are welcome. Difficulty: No Evita or Alive.
posted by pieoverdone to travel & transportation (13 comments total)

netflix has a decent selection here.
posted by thinkingwoman at 4:53 PM on June 18, 2007

The Motorcycle Diaries is mostly in Argentine Spanish, and is a pretty good movie to boot.
posted by nomis at 5:03 PM on June 18, 2007

Epitafios (on Netflix)
posted by glibhamdreck at 5:21 PM on June 18, 2007

I haven't actually seen Motorcycle Diaries but the lead actor is Mexican. Also, many of those netflix Argentine productions also have actors from other Spanish cultures.

It underscores a larger point which is that the Spanish you don't understand is more likely to be something general than something specifically Rioplatense.

That said, try Nine Queens.
posted by vacapinta at 5:21 PM on June 18, 2007

Or, alternatively, watch some Argentinian soaps through the magic of YouTube.

Do a search for "Sos mi vida" - it was a recent hit, very silly, but pretty entertaining nevertheless. Starring Uruguayan actress Natalia Oreiro.
posted by needled at 5:21 PM on June 18, 2007

I'll second Nine Queens and also suggest El hijo de la novia. I cried.

(If you're BsAs-bound, you may find my Projects post interesting.)
posted by veggieboy at 5:51 PM on June 18, 2007

vacapinta, I had a feeling the actors may not be genuine argentine articles, but I'm sure they managed to put on some good accents. Like learning American English from watching Hugh Laurie in House.
posted by nomis at 6:16 PM on June 18, 2007

I'd also have a look at the moving Kamchatka, the mysterious El aura, by the late, lamented Fabien Bielinsky (Nine Queens), and the striking El viento. Like Nine Queens and El hijo de la novia, these are all fine films, and all available on Amazon - I just checked.
posted by Holly at 6:58 PM on June 18, 2007

Plata Quemada is one of the more nontraditional based-on-a-true-story gay heist flicks, but it's a goodie.
posted by kittyprecious at 6:04 AM on June 19, 2007

Third Nine Queens, and be sure and eat lots of pizza—nobody does it better!
posted by languagehat at 8:24 AM on June 19, 2007

La Niña Santa (The Holy Girl) was breathtaking.
posted by umbú at 11:38 AM on June 19, 2007

La Niña Santa, while breathtaking, is not in or around Baires. Whole different accent.
posted by signal at 1:21 PM on June 19, 2007

For a Uruguayan take on Clerks, check out 25 watts.

I'll probably be in Montevideo in November. We could do the first ever Montevideo Metafilter Meet-up...
posted by pj_rivera at 1:53 AM on June 20, 2007