Tetro (Francis Ford Coppola)

[pro-bassoonist]

Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro (2009) has received a preliminary release date: April 6. Courtesy of Lionsgate Films.

Screen International:

A melodramatic family drama set in a Buenos Aires where even innocent passers-by seem consumed by jealousy and passion, Tetro offers glimpses of a golden-age Francis Ford Coppola in his first original script since The Conversation (1974). Although it feels at times like a vanity project, some strong performances – most notably by Spanish actress Maribel Verdu (Y tu mama tambien), but also Vincent Gallo in the title role and newcomer Alden Ehrenreich – save all but Tetro’s most cringeworthy lines.

Tetro goes out domestically on June 11 through Coppola’s American Zoetrope releasing, where its more linear storyline should attract more viewers than Youth Without Youth. Ultimately, Tetro looks likely to become what the French call a succes d’estime in the international marketplace (although audiences in Argentina may react poorly to the film’s tourist trip through their complex social and cultural drives).

Mihai Malaimare’s moody black and white photography, an atmospheric score by Argentinian composer Osvaldo Golijov and long time Coppola collaborator Walter Murch’s editing and sound work help to lift a story that seems at times almost a parody of the dark male family dramas that Coppola’s creativity has always fed on. Indeed, the plot has something of the melodramatic sweep and overwrought tone of an opera libretto.

Ehrenreich plays Bennie, a fresh-faced 17-year-old cruise ship waiter who turns up in Buenos Aires one day in search of his estranged brother Angelo (Gallo). Angelo is a gloomy, broodingly dark poet and playwright who now goes by the name of Tetro (an abbreviation of the family surname Tetrocini, but also an adjective meaning ‘gloomy’ and ‘broodingly dark’ in Italian).

Bennie and Tetro’s father Carlo (Brandauer) is a musician from an Italian émigré family in Argentina, who moved to the States where he is now a famous conductor. He’s also a domineering tyrant whom Tetro despises because of past events which are revealed in a series of flashbacks filmed in colour which rank among the film’s absurder moments.

Tetro, who first appears with his leg in a cast, has given up writing plays and resents the intrusion of his fresh-faced young brother. But, with the help of Tetro’s fiery but kind girlfriend Miranda (Verdu), Bennie decides to help his brother by secretly completing one of his unfinished plays and sending it off to a famous critic called Alone (Maura), a media superstar (Maura plays her as a cross between Oprah Winfrey and Barry Humphries).

A series of expressionistic touches - ballet inserts, clips from Powell and Pressburger’s The Tales of Hoffmann – build towards a cathartic third-act sequence (set among the glaciers of Patagonia) which does, finally, possess a sort of weird power. But it’s a long stretch to get there.

Tetro Blu-ray preorder

Pro-B

[bboisvert]

Saw that in the theaters. It's a good flick. Not something I'd rewatch often, but if it has some cool supplements (commentary, etc.) I'd definitely consider a purchase.

[Beta Man]

Heard Coppola promo-ing this on the Stern Show a long time ago, and it sounds like it's got potential........ He said he funds all of his own flicks, so he has creative control, so I wouldn't expect him to ever rush out a piece of junk


I will Netflix it.

[jamesdevil]

Originally Posted by Beta Man

Heard Coppola promo-ing this on the Stern Show a long time ago, and it sounds like it's got potential........ He said he funds all of his own flicks, so he has creative control, so I wouldn't expect him to ever rush out a piece of junk


I will Netflix it.

No outside opinions can sometimes make the work suffer.

[Iceman713713]

I'll give it a rent on Netflix first

[jdub]

Thought I would bump this. Just got finished watching it. Wow! This movie was amazing. The acting, the music, the artistic direction, the writing I could go on and on. I love when you find a gem like this.. Is anyone as blown away as I am??

[Beta Man]

Originally Posted by jdub

Thought I would bump this. Just got finished watching it. Wow! This movie was amazing. The acting, the music, the artistic direction, the writing I could go on and on. I love when you find a gem like this.. Is anyone as blown away as I am??

I've gotta bump this too.... FINALLY watched this tonight (via Netflix) the film was great, acting, music, etc... as stated.

Very surprised this film appears to have been passed over by most on this forum. I plan to pick this one up soon, I loved it!

[Paul.R.S]

Any OPPOers with this title loading successfully?

(FW UDP20X-65-0131; not the latest but this is a 10-year old BD.)