Assassination Tango (2003)

Synopsis: From acclaimed actor, writer, and director Robert Duvall comes Assassination Tango, a complex thriller, fascinating character study, and provocative look at the intoxicating world of Argentine... From acclaimed actor, writer, and director Robert Duvall comes Assassination Tango, a complex thriller, fascinating character study, and provocative look at the intoxicating world of Argentine tango. As in all of Duvall's films (including the award-winning The Apostle), Assassination Tango offers both an in-depth portrait of a complicated man and a truthful, incisive exploration of a world outside the mainstream.

John J. (Robert Duvall) is deeply devoted to his girlfriend, Maggie (Kathy Baker), and to her young daughter, Jenny (Katherine Micheaux Miller). He is also passionate about dancing, a talent he hones at local Brooklyn dance halls. But his skill on the dance floor seems incongruous with his profession - John is a hit man, and a very good one.

Hired to assassinate an Argentine general in Buenos Aires, John is met in Argentina by Miguel (Ruben Blades), who takes him to the home of a couple whose son the general had killed. But John isn't interested in pathos or politics. As he says, "There's two sides to every story." He just wants to do his job, do it well, get paid, and get home. But when the General unexpectedly delays his return to Buenos Aires, John's neat plans are trashed.

Angry, alone, and with nothing to do until the General's return, John explores the city and soon discovers the rich and mysterious world of the tango. Enthralled, he watches the dancers in the clubs moving with a spellbinding combination of fire and ice, passion and precision. He is hooked and begins to insinuate himself into the life of Manuela (Luciana Pedraza), a charming, brilliant dancer who becomes his teacher and guide into the world of this new dance.

Vacillating between his profession and newfound passion, John finally is able to complete his hit, only to find out the vengeful military has tightened national security like a noose. Spellbound by the rich and mysterious world Manuela has shown him, his idyll is shattered when the reality of why he's there comes crashing down around him. His chances of getting out of Argentina grow slim as he struggles to keep from being found and killed. As evading capture becomes ever more difficult and he finds himself alone with no one to trust, John desperately tries to find a way out of South America and back home.

United Artists presents an American Zoetrope production of Assassination Tango, in association with Butchers Run Films. Written, directed, produced by and starring Academy Award® winner Robert Duvall, Assassination Tango also stars Ruben Blades, Kathy Baker, and Luciana Pedraza, and was also produced by Rob Carliner with executive producers Francis Ford Coppola and Linda Reisman and co-producers Steven Brown and Raul Outeda. Felix Monti served as director of photography, with production design by Stefania Cella, editing by Stephen Mack, and music by Luis Bacalov. [More]

Starring: Ruben Blades, Robert Duvall, Kathy Baker, Luciana Pedraza

Starring: Ruben Blades, Robert Duvall, Kathy Baker, Luciana Pedraza, Katherine Micheaux Miller

Director: Robert Duvall

Director: Robert Duvall
Screenwriter: Robert Duvall
Producer: Steve Brown, Raul Outeda, Robert Duvall, Rob Carliner, Linda Reisman
Composer: Luis Bacalov
Studio: MGM/UA

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