Unmistaken Child

Werner Herzog’s overlooked Wheel of Time (2003) stood outside Buddhism while admiring the poetry and majesty of ancient ceremonies; this Israeli-produced documentary comes closer to advertisement. On one hand, it maintains a certain gape-mouthed awe at the enormity of the rituals it covers—here’s a boy, as in Little Buddha (1993), who’s ushered away from his home because the assistant of a rinpoche (an honored teacher) believes the boy is his mentor’s reincarnation—and on the other hand attempts to draw viewers into the mystical vibe, in thrall to pretty scenery and repetitive scoring. What do the filmmakers believe? The frustration and fascination of Unmistaken Child is that it’s difficult to tell.