Halfmoon

Written by esteemed author Paul Bowles, Halfmoon is a dark and haunting trilogy of short stories. Something, however, has been lost in Frieder Schlaich and Irene von Alberti's filmic translation. The first story follows the diminishing friendship between a pot smoker (Khaled Ksouri) and a drinker (Samir Guesmi) in Morocco; the second explores the rocky relationship of two honeymooners (Sam Cox, Veronica Quilligan) in South America; and the third looks at the world of an outcast Moroccan boy (Said Zakir) who attempts to charm a snake. While the separate stories about treachery and revenge are interesting, the filmmakers languish in imagery and pace, allowing the exotic, slowly-changing landscapes to override all else. Optional. (L. Russo)[DVD Review—Sept. 5, 2006—Facets, 91 min., in English, Arabic & Berber w/English subtitles, not rated, $29.95—Making its first appearance on DVD, 1995's Halfmoon sports a so-so transfer and Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound. DVD extras include the 73-minute audio-only segment “The Music of Paul Bowles,” the 45-minute documentary “Paul Bowles: Creating a Legend” (45 min.), a 30-minute audio segment of Bowles' reading of “The Story of Lachen and Idir” (30 min.), an 18-minute “making-of” featurette (18 min.), a seven-minute location segment “M'Hamid at Night,” and a clip from a German TV show (6 min.). Bottom line: an excellent extras package highlighting the work of author Bowles makes this uneven film well worth considering.]