Vengo

Spare and beautiful visually, lush and bracing aurally, this ardent celebration of flamenco dance and music is bursting with the most fiery of emotions: love and lust and murderous rage. In Spain's dusty Andalusia, rival gipsy clans are heading for a final showdown in their most recent of blood feuds, but until that happens, there will be spirited partying and mournful singing and sensual dancing, all so truly seductive you'll want to get up and twirl and spin and clap your hands in time with the music. It's all part and parcel of Tony Gatlif's spirited Vengo, which imbues you with the ardor of flamenco so you'll comprehend the furor and the fervor that drives this passionate people…even to murder. Recommended. [Note: DVD extras include the bonus short "Los Almendros-Plaza Nueva," and interviews with actors Antonio Canales and Antonio Dechent. Bottom line: a small but solid extras package for a small but solid film.] (M. Johanson)