Foreign Land

After the unexpected death of his already financially-strapped mother, Paco (Fernando Alves Pinto), an aspiring--read also: penniless--actor, accepts an international courier job from a shady antiques dealer. His mission: deliver a violin filled with uncut diamonds to a third-party in Lisbon. When Paco arrives, however, he finds his contact murdered, his violin suddenly missing, and his fate inextricably entwined with that of a beautiful young woman with some serious black market problems of her own. Despite some eye-catching B&W lensing, Foreign Land is a rather unremarkable noir effort with a predictable arc (though the white subtitles, often illegible on the stark white background, inadvertently add mystery to the goings-on). Capably acted and solidly directed, there are certainly worse ways to spend one's time, but there are also better. Optional purchase. (S. C. Sickles)