2009 was a great year for foreign language films. Alongside the acclaimed Swedish vampire horror Let The Right One In, there were two other foreign film titles on every critic’s lips; two films that were battling it out for that coveted gold statue. But neither Germany’s The White Ribbon nor France’s A Prophet got the Oscar. No, it was the relatively unheard of The Secret In Their Eyes that swooped in and nabbed the title of Best Foreign Language Film earlier this year.

Directed by Juan Jose Campanella, the Argentinian film sees ex-civil servant Benjamin (Ricardo Darin) revisit his past by deciding to write a novel based on the un-solved rape and murder case that he became emotionally entwined with back in 1974.

The Secret In Their Eyes is both an intelligent thriller and a harrowing love story.

In order to relive his memories 25 years on and to try and put the painful investigation to rest once and for all, Benjamin seeks out his former superior, Irene, a lady who he has spent most of his life in love with, but who moved on and married when Benjamin could not commit.

Dipping seamlessly into the dark and hostile atmosphere of 1970s Buenos Aires, Campanella points to the country’s then questionable judicial system and provides a glimpse of a politically changing Argentina. But it is less the political commentary and more the characters which are the focus here, with The Secret In Their Eyes producing some superb performances that really stay with you.

Darin is outstanding as Benjamin. The viewer is sucked into the investigation - within which he becomes a key part - following his complex relationships with those involved and understanding his unflinching determination to track down the killer, even if it means revisiting such terrible memories 25 years on.

With the help of Sandoval (Guillermo Francella), his close friend and frequently wasted colleague, we see a younger Benjamin search for the truth behind the murder of the wife of Ricardo Morales - a man so in love, that Benjamin professes to never having seen a love like it.

Passionate and off-the-wall Sandoval steals your heart and provides some welcome laughs with an effortless wit but his character also works, more importantly, to lead Benjamin deeper into his search.

One of Sandoval’s eureka moments takes the bromance to a spectacular scene in a Buenos Aires football stadium, which is introduced via a swooping aerial shot, taking you right into the crowd of excited supporters. 

Campanella pays attention to the cinematography throughout, but it is this pinnacle moment in the narrative that takes your breath away with its frantic, hand-held camera, immersing viewers into the chase. Rarely do we see such an involving and engaging scene that contains so few camera cuts.

Dramatic, moving and funny, The Secret In Their Eyes is, on the surface, an intelligent thriller that avoids the typical detective genre structure and is, at its heart, a harrowing love story that is at times unsettling but always hopeful.

This year, the Academy picked a deserving winner.