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Otto (Peru Medem) is a young boy who's prompted to search for love when his father and mother separate. If he can find it, the argument goes, his mother will always be happy. Ana is a girl who believes that her recently deceased father speaks to her through her schoolmate Otto. When their parents get together, the children find a greater understanding than that of brother and sister. Palindromic names (spelt the same backwards and forwards) are allegedly lucky, and soon love is blooming. A series of coincidences by which Ana allows herself to be guided through life, leads the pair to a point from which they begin a journey back to the beginning: via Madrid, Helsinki and the Arctic Circle.

It's a troubled premise on which to base a near two hour film. Given that this simple device is made clear from the start, the rest of Medem's film becomes an exercise in going absolutely nowhere. If we were given more opportunity to learn some of life's lessons en-route, the story might have been more engaging. But Medem (who wrote the screenplay) decides that coincidence is all and robs his characters of self-determination, thus robbing the story of any real strength. It's then left to a series of engaging images (the stunning locations give him plenty of material) to entertain us: and they don't quite do it.

From a director (Red Squirrel) whose mantle overflows with awards, a little more might well have been expected. ---Colin Fraser

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originally posted: 10/04/99 01:09:31
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