TranSylvania

Aroview: Tony Gatlif tones his freewheeling musical romanticism down a notch, but doesn’t discard the ramshackle sensuality of his earlier films, in this typically seductive, Asia Argento-starring picaresque journey through the rustic Romany Gypsy communities of Transylvania.

A yearning young woman in search of her unborn child’s father, Argento – still ravishing in rags - disguises herself as a gypsy and takes up with charismatic vagrant Unel (HEAD ON), as they road trip across foggy, wintry rural landscapes and engage in some hilariously wooden, soft porn-style dialogue. Enlarging on Gatlif’s interest in landscapes-as-characters, this might be disappointing if you’re seeking a coherent storyline, but those familiar with the director’s oeuvre will happily wallow in the trademark drunken vibrancy of the sound and images: ebullient brass and celebratory strings, wandering livestock, gypsy campfires, booze galore and striking set-pieces shot in gorgeous dusky colours.