Carlo: What has happened to our family? Bennie: Rivalry. "Every family has a past."Tetro is a beautifully shot and acted film. It is filmed in black and white against, with Argentina as a setting. The career of Francis Ford Coppola is filled with masterpieces and a couple disasters, most notably Jack. Tetro is
in-between. It is incredibly well made, but comes off as a little overly artsy at times. I enjoyed it, but I can see it being a little off-putting. The story concerns two brothers. Bennie is the youngest, and is sensitive and emotional. The other is Tetro, who is the oldest and seems mean spirited in the beginning, but as we learn the back story it makes more and more sense. The two brothers haven't seen each other in a decade, when Bennie shows up at Tetro's apartment. Tetro had left for a writing sabbatical, leaving a note for Bennie, saying he would come back and get him. That never happened and Bennie is hurt by it. He just wants to be close to his brother, but Tetro left the family a long time ago. They strike up some sort of relationship as we slowly piece together the family's story. It all leads to a plot, I don't want to say twist, but sharp right turn would work.Everything about the movie is beautiful. The scenery, the cinematography, the performances from Vincent Gallo, Alden Ehenreich, and Maribel Verdú, and of course Coppola's signature touch. The only real problem I have with the movie is there's about a twenty to thirty minute period in the middle that just dragged. But the beginning and ending are great.What you need to know about the movie is that it is extremely slow and relies much more on character, over plot. It could easily come off as boring, but it is always marvelous to look at. Plus Vincent Gallo always keeps the viewer interested.
November 1, 2011
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