neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Assassination Tango
	Robert Duvall Robert Duvall, Ruben Blades, Kathy Baker, Luciana Pedraza 2002		He earned a best-actor Oscar nomination for his previous jack-of-all-skills production "The Apostle," but "Assassination Tango" had to be more of a labor of love for actor/writer/director Robert Duvall. His affection for the tango, the passionate Argentinean dance, is a matter of record, and "Assassination Tango" gave Duvall a chance to act opposite Luciana Pedraza, his Argentina-born significant other. The film itself is an oddly conceived, less than substantial, ultimately uneasy mix of international crime thriller, mild romance and cultural travelogue. Duvall cast himself as an aging, dapper New Yorker who's a devoted partner to a single mother (Kathy Baker), a loving father figure to her little girl, and a fan of ballroom dancing. He's also a hyper-efficient hitman who wants out of the profession after years of living dangerously. But he's forced to take one last job in faraway Buenos Aires. After setting up the hit, he comes upon a tango rehearsal, is captivated by one of the female dancers (Pedraza) and "hits" on her. Duvall doesn't give awful performances; yet, when the film's luxurious music and refined dance are interrupted by plot, this "Tango" crawls.