Review of Tetro (2009) by Ana B — 26 Aug 2012

Psychological drama where a young American man, Bennie, goes to visit his much older brother in Buenos Aires. Angelo is a writer that has severed all links with his family, and very especially with his successful father, Carlo Tetrocini, a famous orchestra conductor. Angelo has changed his name to Tetro and has found love in Miranda, a smart and outspoken lady. But despite living surrounded by a bohemian circle of friends Tetro seems traumatised by some event in the past and cannot get back to writing. Bennie also resents the implacable shadow of their father and in an attempt to regain the bond with his brother steals his play and gets it into a contest.

In many ways this resembles theatre, the importance of the dialogue, the development of the characters and even the Shakesperian touch of the plot. I found the movie visually very interesting: the use of black and white, the heavy contrast of light and shade, making all seem more dramatic, stressing the sadness of their predicament, it does remind me a lot of the atmosphere of âThe Godfatherâ?. However it is all a bit too psychological for me, too introspective and so overdramatic that you sometimes feel like yelling the characters âcome on, get over itâ?. It seems like Coppola has tried too hard to give us a classic and hasnâ(TM)t been true to himself, at points it all feels too pretentious.