Tony Gatlif, cinematic muse of the gypsies, keeps on trying to show us, with music attached, what life is like among the nomads of Europe. He undoubtedly knows the score. But one more film romanticising them, preferably noisily, may seem one too many.
This time round, the eccentric Asia Argento plays an Italian with gypsy blood who travels to Transylvania to find the lover who has got her pregnant (Italian rock star Marco Casteli). When he roughly rejects her, she wanders off with Birol Unel's fellow traveller.
At one point, Argento's character is exorcised of her demons in church with sanctified milk poured over her as a choir sings Gregorian chants.
At another, Unel smashes his head with beer bottles, presumably to exorcise his own. In between there are various halts for gypsy music. It's as if Gatlif was intent on a musical as much as a drama.
The whole is lively and colourful but those who know Gatlif 's work may feel they've seen it all before. If you haven't, you may be more impressed than I was.
Transylvania
