Lost World, The - The Beginning Details

Nostalgia and regret are only to be expected when an 89-year-old film-maker takes a sentimental journey around his homeland. Manoel de Oliveira's wistful odyssey is made all the more poignant, though, by the fact that it contains Marcello Mastroianni's farewell performance as the director's alter ego. However, just as the reminiscences begin to weave their spell, the emphasis shifts on to Jean-Yves Gautier, an actor in Marcello's current project, trying to persuade a long-lost aunt to overcome her xenophobia and accept him as family. Touching on everything from Jesuit schooling to Bosnia, this is a highly personal film, but fascinating all the same.