Parents' Guide to Rest in Peace

By no means a bad film, this Argentinian drama unfortunately lacks coherence. The first half of Rest in Peace is clearly superior to its second half, but even more character development during the former could have created more sympathy for the main character during the remainder of the film. While it's clear that Sergio is a decent man, good father, and loving partner, it's never clear why or how he got so in debt. He just simply owes many people (and one "bad" person) lots of money. Additionally, it's never clear why this "bad" person is so bad, especially given that Sergio's wife later falls in love with and marries this "bad" man, and her kids grow up lovingly calling this person "Dad." Thus, the audience is required to either hold onto the film's earlier definition of him or think, "well, maybe he's changed for the better?"

This lack of clarity here makes the second half of the movie lacking in justification, as by this point, the most ethical thing would be for Sergio to leave his old family to live out their lives happily. When he doesn't, many viewers will no longer be on his side and wonder why he doesn't just leave things be. But again, this is certainly not a "bad" film, as many elements of it do work, like the strong performances, solid writing, and smooth sequencing. The story flows effortlessly along, even if much of this owes to easy deus ex machina moments that propel the narrative to its next act. Ultimately, though, the final determination might understandably fall on how the film ends, which some might find a bit contrived.