fiozinho

A very subtle and accomplished Portuguese comedy drama, directed with a light touch by young António Ferreira. It's the story of a dysfunctional family, with the father and mother both hitting mid-life crises at precisely the same time. She wants some magic in her life, and seeks it from him; he wants some in his life and seeks it from ... well ... magic. Throw into this vortex of dissatisfaction a punk daughter, an ailing grandfather, a troubled niece with a penchant for arson and a goat and you have the recipe for a very enjoyable ride. There's neat editing and good use of music, and Ferreira's direction of his actors is excellent: Custódia Gallego and António Capelo are smashing in the main roles and there's a touching performance from veteran Fernando Taborda as the grandfather in the winter of his life. All in all, 'Esquece ...' is simply a lovely little film.

The Palestinian situation is fertile and as-yet largely fallow soil for film-making. 'Divine Intervention' tries hard, and gives us an insightful peek into the almost surreal life of those caught up in the troubles, but the film amounts to little more than a handful of (admittedly lovely) visual jokes thrown onto celluloid, while the links between them become increasingly obscure as the film progresses. A missed opportunity to say something more coherent about a very topical issue.

The magnificent Daniel Auteuil is ... well ... magnificent once again in this study of a common man whose world turns unaccountably pear-shaped, and who is powerless to get out of the increasingly large hole he's dug for himself. The sequencing of the film is very neatly done - we know from the word 'go' that Faure has done something horrendous, we're pretty sure what it is, and we are led to find out why through a complex series of flashbacks. The art of Auteuil is in his ability to make Faure a sympathetic character, despite his many flaws and the gruesome crime he commits. The painstakingly constructed portrait of a man in torment may get painted on a little too thickly at times, but Auteuil's descent from mixed-up family-man to lethal psychopath is gripping stuff.