Queen of Hearts
Director: Jon Amiel
Year Released: 1989
Rating: 3.0
Surprising mixture of fantasy, comedy and drama works for this little film, about a family that flees Italy for England, opens up a café and deals with an old nemesis from back home that has become wealthy. The prodigal son bit doesn't work, and it all fits a little too neatly together, but I found it to be mostly pleasant, especially in its oddball sense of detail and compassion for its lead couple (who actually convinced me they were married, something a lot of movies don't do). It belongs in the same category as offbeat films like The Long Day Closes and My Life as a Dog - it's better than the latter but doesn't have the same dreamy qualities of the former.
