La Bohème

On Broadway in 2002 Baz Luhrmann moved the story to 1950s America, but this latest film of Puccini’s operatic warhorse is more traditional. Detailed studio interiors recreate nineteenth-century Parisian bustle, as director Robert Dornhelm tries to illuminate the material from within. The result is approachable for newcomers, but with Dornhelm’s camera keeping a close watch on group dynamics, it’ll remind old hands to look beyond the creamy melodies. What emerges is a trenchant portrait of cash-strapped youngsters too beaten down to exploit opportunties for love. Star tenor Rolando Villazón shows a surprising deftness of touch, even if his glam leading lady Anna Netrebko looks too resilient to persuade as ailing seamstress Mimi. Their charisma’s centre-stage, though it’s serviceable rather than ecstatic.