Tetro

 

Francis Ford Coppola is in his 70s now, but Tetro feels like a young man's film. It's a deeply personal picture that's overflowing with exuberance and passion and is the director's best work in over twenty years. Set in Buenos Aires, this is another Coppola tale of familial discord, following young American Bennie (impressive newcomer Alden Ehrenreich) as he tracks down his mysterious older brother (Vincent Gallo), who has completely cut his ties with the past and reinvented himself as a writer named Tetro. The story and themes are nothing new but what elevates Tetro above its familiar subject matter and turns the film into something extraordinary is its remarkable style. The director's compositions are ceaselessly inventive and he draws heartfelt, compelling performances from his actors, while the gleaming black-and-white cinematography provided by Mihai Malaimare ensures every shot is a marvel. Coppola constantly manages to surprise – throwing in a lovely Technicolor homage to Powell and Pressburger – and the overall effect is one of an artist making a film purely for the sheer love of filmmaking. Tetro really is a film made from the heart, and while some viewers will undoubtedly roll their eyes at the loopy, operatic plotting (particularly during the overblown finale) and some of Coppola's more indulgent artistic flourishes, just as many are likely to fall completely in love with it.