Review: Tetro

Coppola Rising

I'm going to start this whole thing by saying something that might seem a bit unusual, perhaps even blasphemy to the regular film fanatic: I'm not a big fan of Francis Ford Coppola. Well, let me make that a little clearer. I am a big fan of the Coppola who gave the world perhaps the greatest mafia saga in film history as well as the truly awesome and epic Vietnam War story that to this day remains on a level that its successors have not even come close to. I am not a fan of the Coppola we have been seeing lately, the Coppola that has given us The Godfather Part III, Jack, The Rainmaker, Youth Without Youth and Sofia Coppola. That is the man I have started to despise little by little, as have many others. Now it seems Coppola has heard those calls and has delivered this film, his first based on an original screenplay of his in thirty-five years, and arguably one of his best since then.

As I said, this is Coppola's first film based on his original writing since The Conversation in 1974. Vincent Gallo is the title character, a frustrated and somewhat failed writer living his life in Buenos Aries with his live in partner Miranda (Mabriel Verdú). Their simple and mysterious life is disrupted when Tetro's younger brother, Bennie (Alden Ehrenreich), stops by for an extended visit when the cruise ship he works on has some engine trouble. Bennie clings to Tetro in order to piece together some of the family's strange history, particularly the falling out between Tetro and his renowned composer father (Klaus Maria Brandauer).

There's a lot of room for the typical moviegoer to become annoyed with Tetro's tedious pace, non-linear plot, cut-a-ways to strange, symbolic opera scenes, and odd ending to it all. I myself was tempted to dismiss the film for having many of these elements with not much point. However, knowing Coppola, there is a method to the madness, and if you're willing to look at it at the right angle, you can find the beauty. Coppola isn't trying to make some epic movie in the same vein as The Godfather. There is no grand point that it makes. He simply wants to invite you in and feel the emotions of the characters. The way Coppola frames the movie provides that path, and he quietly draws you in until you are engulfed in its glorious picture.

Most people only know of Vincent Gallo as the rather pompous filmmaker behind The Brown Bunny, which found himself on the receiving end of Chloe Sevigney orally pleasuring him and then placed a hex on Roger Ebert's colon based on a negative review of his film. Here, in front of the camera, he's a character that conveys nearly every emotion. You might question the legitimacy of those outbursts, but Gallo always makes a definite impact. Ehrenreich has a brilliant subtlety and quite sensibility to his character, providing an emotional anchor to the film and professing so much while speaking so little. Verdú, of Pan's Labyrinth and Y Tu Mamá También, is again fabulous here as every word she speaks and every action she takes provides great emotional baggage.

Even if you disagree about all of those other aspects, the one that everyone seems to agree upon is the absolutely beautiful cinematography. Mihai Malaimare creates a flawless and magnificent black and white portrait with this film. Not only does it give the film a hypnotic haze, but it also creates a rather timeless feeling to it, as if no specific date can be assigned. That is quite appropriate when Coppola is dealing with some timeless themes in the film itself. I normally don't count on the Oscars to give the Best Cinematography award to the most deserving film (Brokeback Mountain, Children of Men, The Assassination of Jesse James..., and The Dark Knight are all consecutive examples), but I hope the lesson is learned here.

I will emphasize that there is a good chance that you might not be a big a fan of this movie as I was. I'm used to that, and even at times may want to agree with that viewpoint. However, long after the film ends, its haunting visuals stay long with you. Coppola has created a odd portrait but ultimately filled with little gems. You will probably not get it all the first time, Lord knows I didn't. I do look forward to a second time, and I hope you all will give it a first. **** / ****; GRADE: A