Music

As clouds envelop a mountain in Greece, a baby is abandoned and found the next day by goat farmer Elias (Argyris Xafis), who brings it home to his wife Merope (Marisha Triantafyllidou).  Years later Jon (Aliocha Schneider) will be imprisoned after an accident and meet Iro (Agathe Bonitzer) and their bond will be expressed through “Music.”

Laura's Review: C

If you didn’t know going in that writer/director Angela Schanelec’s ("I Was at Home, But...") film was loosely based on the Oedipus myth, congratulations if you figure that out.  This isn’t only art house cinema, but slow cinema, and while I usually embrace both, Schanelec’s mostly dialogue free film is simply too nebulous to get a narrative grip on, instead a series of long, slow takes with very somber people where very little happens.

I could not discern exactly what sent Jon to prison, for example, but he does take Iro, who worked there and is now expecting, to meet his adoptive mother.  Later, Iro will call Lucien’s father to see how he is, learning that Lucien has been dead for seven years, perhaps the cause of Jon’s incarceration.  Iro will eventually commit suicide, letting herself slip off a cliff.

Water is a continuous theme as people swim and shower, hands frequently seen whether playing with a crab, being cooled by a stream or joining under a kitchen tap.  The color red is prominent among the beige/blue/green landscapes.  Schanelec discovered Canadian songwriter Doug Tielli and his unproduced songs about death and suffering (with the film’s last, ‘Milo,’ the exception) become Jon’s.

“Music” is dreamlike and has hypnotic moments and is sure to appeal to some, but those looking for anything even resembling straightforward should look elsewhere.

Robin's Review: D+

Cinema Guild released “Music” in select theaters on 6/28/24, expanding over subsequent weeks.  Click here for play dates.