Heads or Tails

By Joanna Langfield

And now for something completely different.

A spaghetti western with a surreal spin, this great looking, ambitious whirl may not be a sure bet, but it is worth taking a chance on.

The directing/screenwriting team of Alessio Rigo de Righi and Matteo Zoppis (along with writer Carlo Salsa) have mounted a magical twist on what has been a classic movie storyline. A beautiful young woman is unhappily tied to an Italian robber baron, a man whose inherited arrogance leads him to try and throw a bet against visiting American cowboy Buffalo Bill Cody. And off we go, into a standard theme that branches off into some much more interesting territory. The Italian social and political themes of the times are very much at play here, as are some mystical moments. And while those unearthly bits may not work for everybody, they surely elevate what could have been a more play by the numbers piece.

The arresting French beauty Nadia Tereszkiewicz becomes more and more fascinating as the film reels on, as does her on screen romantic partner in crime, Alessandro Borghi. Perhaps the most internationally well known actor in this wild bunch is the wonderful John C. Reilly, who seems to be having a grand old time playing the bigger than life and lies Buffalo Bill.

What looks like an initially modest effort is, insistently, not, taking welcome chances that separate it from the too many safe bets that have been coming our way.