Apartment Zero

Martin Donovan's 1989 film is set in Buenos Aires at the end of the eighties. Adrian runs a failing art cinema and lives in a shabby apartment building full of quarrelling tenants; when his money runs out he decides to take a lodger. The man who arrives is Jack, a quiet, attractive American. Adrian begins to idolise him, and at the same time a series of political killings is happening in the city, which Adrian suspects Jack may be connected to. The film moves like a thriller while its real interest is Adrian's obsession; his attachment to cinema, to classic Hollywood stars and finally to Jack severs his hold on reality. Argentina's memory of the military years is felt continuously in the background. Colin Firth, early in his career, is in an unusually fragile role. Who it's for: viewers who like psychological thrillers and eighties cinema with a queer subtext. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a clear genre and a tight plot; the film is slow and loose.