White Elephant

Pablo Trapero's White Elephant (Argentina, 2012) - Ricardo Darrin, Jeremy Rennier. The lensing is flawless in "White Elephant," a superbly shot story about two priests working in one of Buenos Aires' most dangerous slums. The same can't be said for the script, which tries to keep too many thematic balls in the air without privileging any one. Pablo Trapero ("Carancho," "Lion's Den") is thinking big here, and he's certainly got the scope, especially in constructing visuals, yet his sense of balance is off and the finale's illogic doesn't sit well. Despite these flaws, the pic will play well in all three home countries, with strong international sales likely. 2012CANucr, 2012TOR. RATING: 7.