Portuguese auteur Miguel Gomes deepens his brand of unclassifiable, globetrotting cinema with , a period drama that’s not really a period drama at all, or is it? Set in Southeast Asia circa 1918, and following the trajectories of a British civil servant and his fiancée as they trace similar paths across the continent, the film hops between present-day documentary footage and historical recreations, with voiceovers in several local languages and a plot that slowly nudges along. Fans of Gomes’ breakthrough 2012 feature, , will find much to love here as well, and in terms of craft his latest offers some truly beguiling moments. But anyone looking for a good story, or characters to get hooked on, may find themselves admiring the scenery without ever relishing it.
Despite a simple pitch, is, at least aesthetically speaking, anything but simple, jumping between epochs, genres, color and black-and-white without warning. Gomes has forged a unique style over the years that blends past and present until they become indistinguishable, as if the period piece we’re watching is, in fact, a documentary shot over a hundred years ago that was only unearthed today. Or rather, today’s footage actually comes from the past, as thought it were sent back to the future.
If this sounds perplexing, that’s because it is, and is not for those who like their movies served up succinctly and without too many digressions. Playing in competition in , which is a first for the director, it should f.
