Reviewed by Michael Edwards
Stars Asia Argento, Amira Casar, Birol Ünel,
Alexandra Beaujard, Marco Castoldi,
Beata Palya, Rares Budelaina
Written by Tony Gatlif
UK certification 15 | UK RRP £17.99
DVD Region 2 | Runtime 103minutes
Directed by Tony Gatlif
Transylvania is a vibrant and exciting film, or at least it would be if it wasn't for the lengthy and banal scenes and frequently clunky dialogue that punctuates some astoundingly beautiful scenes with unfortunate frequency.
A tale of the search for love, Transylvania sees a couple of French girls head to the eponymous region of Romania to find Milan, a musician who impregnated one of them and then scarpered — ostensibly deported from France and forced to return to his homeland. But the story isn't that simple, and soon descends into a twisted world of transience and passion, love and longing.
The setting is a strange one, Gatlif paints a sequence of scenes of isolation and his own gypsy background surely informs their heavy presence throughout the proceedings, but it doesn't always click. Gatlif's work is often focussed on the music and cinematography and he works without written scripts, it is no surprise therefore that what we are left with are a series of lovely pictures tied together with a moving score, but with a story that doesn't always hit the spot. Asia Argento and Birol †nel put in stellar performances as the lead characters, and truly exude a passion that seeps of the screen in an unstoppable stream of independence and freedom for a majority of the film, it was just those odd moments where something didn't ring true - especially as the journey began, before we really get into the nitty gritty of love and freedom that lies at the heart of this film.
A few stunning scenes and a great score really give Transylvania the potential to inspire audiences, but those of you who love a good story may get lost along the way.
EXTRAS ** Nothing to write home about — a making of with a few decent insights, a couple of songs and a poorly filmed Q & A with Tony Gatlif and Amira Casar at the French Film Festival 2007.