To the Left of the Father

If you're in the mood for a three-hour drama about a Lebanese-Brazilian family's struggles with incest and parent-child strife, then To the Left of the Father—a 2001 film set in the 1940s—may be for you. Prodigal son Andre (Selton Mello) returns to his religious family after a long self-imposed exile, rejoining Lebanese immigrant parents who never fully assimilated into their rural Brazilian environment (their mindset is closer to the conservative Middle East than the easygoing Brazilian culture, which is what drove Andre away in the first place). Based on the novel of the same name by Raduan Nassar, the film is kind of like a shabby Brazilian equivalent of a Tennessee Williams play, with florid acting that seems more appropriate for a campy telenovela (including a youthful incestuous relationship) than a serious motion picture (director Luiz Fernando Carvalho also repeatedly opts for unflattering close-ups that are meant to convey claustrophobia but only suggest a sense of cluelessness in regards to camera placement). Why this couldn't have been a 90-minute or two-hour film is somewhat inexplicable—it's hard to recall another recent movie that squanders so much footage to so little purpose. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include an interview with the director (12 min.) Bottom line: a small extras package for a disappointing film.] (P. Hall)