The original title is El Rey del Once, literally The King of Eleven. Eleven ("once" in Spanish) is the name of a quarter of Buenos Aires around Plaza Once de Septiembre (Square September Eleven) named after a happening in Argentine history on September 11, 1888. This quarter is home to numerous Jewish families that settled there in the first half of the 20th. century and after. It is not a ghetto in any sense of the word; it looks like any middle class neighborhood in Buenos Aires. The title has been translated to The Tenth Man, not a bad choice since this refers to the need for ten men in some Jewish rituals. This plays a role in the movie.

The protagonist, Ariel, has lived for years abroad and is presently in Buenos Aires. He is estranged from his father Usher, and wishes to reconnect with him. We learn from flashbacks that Usher was an absentee father, although this alone doesn't explain the extreme father/son tension that makes Usher avoid Ariel or prevents him from looking Ariel in the face. Usher is The King of Eleven, a neighborhood wheeler-dealer bent not on personal success but on helping the quarter's less advantaged neighbors (he seems to spend all his time in this endeavor). The name of the actor that impersonates Usher is Usher Barilka, so we may assume the character is real or has real components.

A recurring theme in some of Daniel Burman's movies (Waiting for the Messiah 2000, Lost Embrace 2004, Family Law 2006) is the place of a young man in the Jewish community of Buenos Aires and his conflicted relation with his father. Burman retakes the subject in the present film in a more austere, almost documentary fashion. Ariel, the young man, faces a choice, One of the alternatives is a life with everyday acts determined by precise although illogical rituals (this applies to other religions as well) but providing an identity, a sense of community and an opportunity for caring for each other (although it also implies isolation from society at large). The other choice is that of freedom, with all its attendant dangers and sometimes elusive rewards. There is no clear cut answer to this dilemma and Burman doesn't attempt to provide one. As in real life, we are not given complete information about the characters' interaction: we hear that Ariel's mother took the second choice, but we get to know nothing about her relationship with Usher or with Ariel. The movie lets much for the viewer to imagine. A fascinating film.

Ariel, an economist, now based in New York, is preparing to go to his hometown, Buenos Aires with Monica, an aspiring ballerina. His father interrupts his preparations for the trip with the request of a pair of Nike sneakers with Velcro ties for a friend who is in hospital and needs those shoes. Needless to say, Ariel only finds regular sneakers, something his father did not want.

Thus begins this story that to this viewer reminds of the "prodigal son" parable. Ariel gets back to the place of his birth, a place he hardly recognizes. Having been brought up as Jewish, his past comes back to confront him in unexpected ways. Being away from the religion of his childhood, Ariel is resentful of of the environment where he has come back to. His father, Usher, is the spirit of a foundation that helps the poor Jewish inhabitants of the Buenos Aires' neighborhood called "Once". Usher is everywhere, but his interaction with Ariel and the people of his community is always done on the phone. We never see this man, although his presence looms large throughout the story.

We get to know the reason for Ariel's resentment against his parents. Usher, being so involved in the community, neglects to attend an important date with Ariel. An absent mother also contributes to Ariel's unhappiness. To make matters worse, Usher keeps pressing his son to get involved in things he cannot attend himself. Slowly, but surely, Ariel comes to understand the role of his father and the way a lot of people depend on the kindness of Usher. Ariel's involvement takes him back to his Jewish roots and understands his father's mission. Ariel might have been away from his religion, but he rediscovers the importance of his upbringing. Then there is the presence of the mysterious Eva, a helper at the foundation with problems of her own. The attraction between Ariel and Eva plays a lot with the outcome of the story.

Daniel Burman, one of the best directors working in the Argentine cinema, sets this story in the colorful location where life is not easy for most of the poor older Jews eking a living in a city. Mr. Burman knows the people well; his tale of reconnecting with one's faith and acceptance works well as he spins his tale with a light touch that works in unexpected ways. Alan Sabbagh, who plays Ariel is perfect as the man at the center of the story. He gives a performance that is consistent of the type of character he plays. Mr. Sabbagh is the main reason for watching the film. Lovely Julieta Zilberberg is perfectly mysterious as Eva. As far as the main character, we get to see him in the last section of the film. He is a "presence" always heard, but never seen.

The Argentinian film El Rey del Once (2016) was shown in the U.S. with the title The Tenth Man. (The U.S. title makes sense in the context of the movie, but the Spanish title is The King of Eleven.) The movie was written and directed by Daniel Burman.

The film stars Alan Sabbagh as Ariel, who was born in Buenos Aires, but is now a successful businessman in New York City.

Ariel is estranged from he father, Usher, because Usher is an orthodox Jew, and Ariel is not. Ariel travels to Buenos Aires to try to come to a rapprochement with Usher.

However, Usher never appears. He runs a charity organization--I think mostly for Jews--and he's always somewhere else when Ariel visits the charity.

The charity organization is more or less a success, but it is horribly disorganized. Usher apparently holds this chaotic situation together, but barely.

Instead of Usher, Ariel meets the beautiful, enigmatic Eva (Julieta Zylberberg). She's an orthodox Jew, so she's not allowed to touch him. However, she's also silent. She can speak, but she chooses not to.

The plot progresses with the growing relationship between Ariel and and Eva, and the growing absence of Usher. There are funny and tender moments, as Ariel meets old friends, and starts to make sense out of what's happening at the charity.

I enjoyed this movie, and I recommend it. It has a horrible IMDb rating of 5.7. It's much better than that. The low rating for this good movie reminds me that sometimes you need to listen to a friend who recommends a film. The IMDb rating is important, but it's not essential when choosing a movie.