Três Palmeiras

Botelho's typically exquisite feature is a bizarre compendium of seemingly unrelated stories, told (mostly) by a man to his heavily pregnant wife, and taking place in Lisbon over a period of eight hours. Some of it is very sombre, though there are lovely irruptions of comedy and surreal fantasy. Tying it all together is the writer/director's assured control of mood, sensitive use of music, and the superbly elegant images. It's too experimental a narrative exercise to be to everyone's taste, but recommended to fans of Hard Times and A Portuguese Goodbye.