MOVIE REVIEW: Tetro (2009)

Having visited Argentina around the same time this film came out, I was delighted to have seen some familiar locales revisited in Tetro. What I didn't expect though, was that it happened to be a really good movie too. Perhaps the fact that it was directed by Francis Ford Coppola was a given; I hadn't seen any of his more current work, and I was pleased to see from Tetro that he is still in top form. With this film, however, his creativity hits new zeniths, and he manages to blend the visual storytelling from other metaphorically-bent directors, like Pedro Almodovar and Federico Fellini, while keeping intact his own brand of intense character study. Artsy as it may be, it's also a fine drama as well.

Bennie Tetrocini, a young military school dropout, travels to Buenos Aires, Argentina to reconnect with his estranged brother, Angelo. Upon entering the home he shares with him and his Spanish girlfriend, Miranda, Bennie discovers a withdrawn, morose soul, plagued with a broken leg, and an inconspicuous case of writer's block. Upon uncovering his unfinished work, Bennie decides to take charge of his life by reinventing himself as a writer, and basing his first work off of his brother's notes, much to Tetro's chargin. Bennie hopes that the final result will uncover the secrets behind his dysfunctional family, his relationship with Tetro, and finally give him closure and respect to the work he started.

Tetro is a really beautiful film to watch; filmed mostly in black-and-white, the cinematography and aesthetics are sublime and complement the grayscale scheme excellently. Some shots I almost consider picture-frame-worthy. Of course it goes without saying that the acting is very solid; most of the dialogue wavers between English and Spanish, and features two of my favorite actresses in Spanish cinema: Maribel Verdu, and Carmen Maura, both give fine performances and are a treat to watch. While the story is quite frankly, rather dark, it's not hard to invest in the story, as the audience will feel a sense of familiarity within the naivetee of Bennie's fish-out-of-water experience in La Boca. Coppola should really come back to doing mainstream film though, he is missed.

8/10

Peace,
- Jon