Inquietude (1998) review

Theatre-inspired anthology-type film from De Oliveira: part one is a play where a famous mathematician (José Pinto) tries to convince his successful son (Luís Miguel Cintra) to end his own life "at the height of his glory," in the middle section two men are fixated on "courtesans" Gabi (Rita Blanco) and Suzy (Leonor Silveira) and then, for the last third, it's a fairy tale involving rebellious Fisalina (Leonor Baldaque) seeking out the gold-fingered Mother of the River for guidance, but things go terribly wrong.  Despite the cast being mostly young, this very much feels like an older man's project with its concerns about aging and immortality, and although I don't think it fully "comes together" in a cohesive manner - which is what happens when you try to combine two different short stories and a drama - there are genuine nuggets of wisdom scattered throughout.  I wonder if the then 90-year-old director, who makes an appearance half-way through dancing a tango, thought it would be his final work ... but no, fate allowed him to make another thirteen features (and numerous shorts) thereafter.  As it's been said elsewhere, use your time wisely....