Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on January 2012

Francis Ford Coppola shows he’s still got it with this beautifully crafted, highly personal film. As involving as it is inventive and in stunning black & white, this is the unabashedly operatic story of a 17-year-old boy (Alden Ehrenreich) who arrives in Buenos Aires in search of his much older brother (an edgy Vincent Gallo, perfect for the role), a temperamental, emotionally-blocked writer. The only thing they share is a hatred for their domineering father, a world-renowned conductor (Klaus Maria Brandauer). Their reasons for doing so, when finally revealed, make for a thrilling, cathartic third act.