Misfortune

Set in the 50's, "Misfortune" tells the story of Hugo Felice. A depressive office worker, habitué of a dugout bar that shelters an urban fauna plagued with suicides, ex-convicts and losers. It's in this bar where a private detective interrogates Felice. This dark agent puts some photos on the table, with images of four dead people in a bloodbath. They are Otto Mortensen (owner of the company where Felice has been working for thirty years), Susana (the maid), Silvio Minetti (Felice's office coworker) and the mysterious Delia. Hugo Felice tells us how he is related to the four dead. He narrates how he came to witness the massacre himself. His narration (sometimes a voice-over that amalgamates different flashbacks) gives shape to the story - HIS story -, which is heard by the silent private detective. Delia seduced Felice a few months ago and they became lovers. Felice fell at her feet as soon as he saw her. Nevertheless, Delia had a macabre plan in mind that would change poor Hugo`s life forever. Night passes slowly, enlivened by jazz music, tangos and boleros that Luis, the bartender, puts on an old turntable. Felice's story, melancholic at times, adopts sinister tones. The detective listens carefully. At times, he cannot believe what Hugo says. At one point, Felice arrives to what the detective came for: what happened to the five million dollars hidden in the mansion where the deaths occurred. A surprise ending coronates the story, in which Hugo Felice triumphantly emerges.