Francis Ford Coppola's "Tetro" (First Look)

Early last year, there was buzz about Coppola's next film "Tetro" going around. Matt Dillon and Javier Bardem were set to star and things seemed to be moving along harmoniously. Then I hear that Bardem drops due to scheduling conflicts with another project, Dillon shortly after. I got nervous to say the least. Then Coppola does a bold move and casts the acting scene's bad boy Vincent Gallo, in the lead! Now, I've been a fan of Vincent Gallo's since Buffalo 66. I really believe this man has talents beyond the capabilities of most actors. His performance in Buffalo 66, The Funeral, and Truth or Consequences NM, are some of my favorites. He's also an accomplished filmmaker who with just two films under his directing belt, has made quite a dent in the annals of film history. Especially the controversy that circled his second film "The Brown Bunny", which sparked a feud between Gallo and Chicago Film critic Roger Ebert. The Brown Bunny isn't a film for everyone, but I personally love it, the way it was filmed, it's slow pace, and it's eventual masochistic ending that shows a display of ego and pain all the same. I don't recommend it to anyone but anyone who truly is a fan of beautifully shot films, might enjoy that one. I digress, this post is about Coppola and not about Gallo.

Tetro is Coppola's second film returning after a decade hiatus from film; to concentrate on his wine vineyard and resort business. His first film Youth Without Youth; like Gallo's The Brown Bunny, was a personal film of Coppola about love and history that struck quite a chord in me, after repeated viewings that is. Tim Roth delivered a beautiful performance juxtaposed to scenery and landscapes that were absolutely breath-taking that only Coppola could truly capture. Tetro is Coppola's second feature of his "personal" films which he claims will be making a lot more of.

Tetro synopsis:
"Fresh faced and naive, 17-year-old Bennie arrives in Buenos Aires to search for his older brother who has been missing for more than a decade. The family had emigrated from Italy to Argentina, but with the great musical success of their father Carlo, an acclaimed symphony conductor, the family moved from Argentina to New York. When Bennie finds his brother, the volatile and melancholy poet Tetro, he is not at all what he expected. In the course of staying with Tetro and his girlfriend Miranda, the two brothers grapple with the haunting experiences of their shared past."

I'm truly excited to see this film and Gallo's performance, along with the phenomenal cast he's put together of spanish talents like Maribel Verdu (Y Tu Mama Tambien, La Zona), Rodrigo De La Serna (The Motorcycle Diaries), and Carmen Maura (Volver). Anyway, the real reason why I'm discussing this film in my post is because Apple.com/trailers has posted a special sneek peek at the first 3 minutes of the film. The cinematography is outstanding and the film looks like it's going to be in black and white. Release date is set for June 11th 2009 in limited release.