Return of the Idiot

A faintly sentimental but beautifully observed film inspired by the hero of Dostoevsky's novel, this charts the serio-comic experiences of Dean Stockwell-lookalike Liska, recently released from psychiatric therapy, who visits distant relatives in a small town and finds himself involuntarily immersed in romantic intrigue involving two sisters and two brothers. Starting from an eloquent, wordless opening, the film slowly unravels to reveal a core of emotional confusion and dissatisfaction, while subtly establishing the innocence and unwitting goodness of the protagonist. Immaculately acted and controlled, and a modest but quite lovely gem.