Follow clues if you can in ‘Headless Woman’

  • By Robert Horton Herald Movie Critic
  • Thursday, October 22, 2009 10:06pm
  • Life

If you like David Lynch-land, if you like a puzzle film, if you value mystery over explanations — we’ve got a movie for you.

“The Headless Woman” is a new film from Argentina’s Lucrecia Martel, whose “La Cienaga” and “The Holy Girl” marked her as a distinctive talent. This one is like a Hitchcock movie watched through a smoked glass window.

At the center of the movie, and usually at the center of the shot, is Veronica (Maria Onetto), an upper-class, middle-aged woman. Something happens to her, or she causes something to happen, while driving her car, early in the film.

We watch Veronica as she drops her cell phone while motoring along a sunny road. As she fumbles for it on the seat, the car suddenly jerks up and down, and we hear a thump.

As though she’s hit something.

But the nature of this impact—and of a possible head injury Veronica might have sustained in the moment — is not going to be spelled out. Instead, we watch her pass through the remainder of the movie, her behavior odd, apparently in a kind of concussed daze.

Is it possible she hit a dog in the road? But what about the human body found nearby, a few days later? Can she remember what happened, or is she conveniently turning away from reality?

Martel has suggested that her films are metaphors for a generation of Argentineans who would prefer to forget the uncomfortable political past. If so, “The Headless Woman” fits the profile: not only does Veronica struggle with remembering, but the people around her seem to be helping her forget, as though closing ranks of privilege around her.

These tantalizing ideas are embedded in a movie that has a slow, dreamy rhythm. “The Headless Woman” doesn’t make anything easy for you, and at times its style is so oblique you might wonder whether you got conked in the noggin yourself.

It’s not so much a whodunit as a wha’happened. Following out the clues makes for a challenging game — you’ll have to keep your head.

“The Headless Woman” ½

Argentina’s talented Lucrecia Martel offers a tantalizing mystery that’s more of a wha’happened than a whodunit. An upper-class woman hits something (or someone?) while driving her car, resulting in a few days of hazy behavior — a puzzle that plays out like a Hitchcock movie watched through a smoked-glass window.

In Spanish, with English subtitles

Rated: Not rated, probably PG-13 for subject matter

Showing: Northwest Film Forum

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Photo courtesy of Graphite Arts Center
Amelia DiGiano’s photography is part of the “Seeing Our Planet” exhibit, which opens Friday and runs through Aug. 9 at the Graphite Arts Center in Edmonds.
A&E Calendar for July 10

Send calendar submissions for print and online to features@heraldnet.com. To ensure your… Continue reading

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members Doug Symonds and Alysia Obina on Monday, March 3, 2025 in Lake Stevens, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
How to grow for show: 10 tips for prize-winning dahlias

Snohomish County Dahlia Society members share how they tend to their gardens for the best blooms.

What’s Up columnist Andrea Brown with a selection of black and white glossy promotional photos on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 in Everett, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Free celeb photos! Dig into The Herald’s Hollywood time capsule

John Wayne, Travolta, Golden Girls and hundreds more B&W glossies are up for grabs at August pop-up.

The 2025 Audi A3 premium compact sedan (Provided by Audi).
2025 Audi A3 upgradesdesign and performance

The premium compact sedan looks sportier, acts that way, too.

Edmonds announces summer concert lineup

The Edmonds Arts Commission is hosting 20 shows from July 8 to Aug. 24, featuring a range of music styles from across the Puget Sound region.

Big Bend Photo Provided By Ford Media
2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend Increases Off-Road Capability

Mountain Loop Highway Was No Match For Bronco

Cascadia College Earth and Environmental Sciences Professor Midori Sakura looks in the surrounding trees for wildlife at the North Creek Wetlands on Wednesday, June 4, 2025 in Bothell, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Cascadia College ecology students teach about the importance of wetlands

To wrap up the term, students took family and friends on a guided tour of the North Creek wetlands.

Mustang Convertible Photo Provided By Ford Media Center
Ford’s 2024 Ford Mustang Convertible Revives The Past

Iconic Sports Car Re-Introduced To Wow Masses

Kim Crane talks about a handful of origami items on display inside her showroom on Monday, Feb. 17, 2025, in Snohomish, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Crease is the word: Origami fans flock to online paper store

Kim’s Crane in Snohomish has been supplying paper crafters with paper, books and kits since 1995.

The 2025 Nissan Murano midsize SUV has two rows of seats and a five-passenger capacity. (Photo provided by Nissan)
2025 Nissan Murano is a whole new machine

A total redesign introduces the fourth generation of this elegant midsize SUV.

A woman flips through a book at the Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Pop some tags at Good Cheer Thrift Store in Langley

$20 buys an outfit, a unicycle — or a little Macklemore magic. Sales support the food bank.

The 2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI sport compact hatchback (Provided by Volkswagen).
2025 Volkswagen Golf GTI is a hot-hatch heartthrob

The manual gearbox is gone, but this sport compact’s spirit is alive and thriving.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.