Born and Bred

Flirting with predictable tragedy but displaying an immense sense of empathy toward its central character, pic is finally an emotionally stunning journey of a father's return to his senses after a horrible accident.

Director Pablo Trapero seals his enviable reputation with this exceptional study of isolation and grief.

Impressively acted and compassionately observed, it hovers intriguingly between reality and dream-state.

Palo Pandolfo's folky score is appealing, and Guillermo Nieto's pale, crunchy photography is terrific. The film's conclusion, while a little hurried, is satisfying, too, making this a quiet but resonant mood piece.

Trapero creates a cinematic eco-system that moment by moment, scene by subtle scene, completely enfolds you.