'mondo', the second film in the gypsy trilogy by tony gatlif, is maudlin and at times too obviously purposeful in its attempts at metaphor.
the story of a homeless or runaway gypsy child in the french port of nice it is another visually captivating and enigmatic voyage to the eye and mind of director tony gatlif. the acting is wonderful and the boy portraying the film's title character is rapturously cute. but the film at times drifts unapologetically into the fantasies and dreams of the boy, mondo, and it is often inconsistent in its apparent message, which might be that life is meant to be lived free, or it might be that we all belong to one another.
but the greatest weakness of this film may be in its mistreatment of this adorable urchin. illiterate and parentless, mondo is treated lightly and indifferently by both his fellow characters in the french port city of nice and by the director. the only characters in this film that mondo makes any real connection to are themselves outcasts and immigrants and are completely powerless to actually to affect his greater welfare or their own.
i am not an advocate for the hollywood ending, nor for a contrived closure of the conflicts and miseries of a film about life, i was just left absolutely unhappy by this film.
maybe this bleak impotence in the grand schemes of life is the theme of this film, and this is too grievous for me to embrace.
juiced May 13, 2003 03:42 PM | pokes (0)