Visually exquisite and utterly charming without being soppy, Robert Redfords second film as director boasts an off-beat ensemble cast including John Heard, Melanie Griffith, Christopher Walken, Sonia Braga, singer Ruben Blades and a scene-stealing pig. A cheering comic fable about a rural Hispanic community fighting the evil forces of property development, rather long and slow to build, but full of delights including Oscar-winning music.
The lyricism of the film, and the observational humour cannot quite overcome the true suffering that is going on, and never really attempts to address it. This is a shrewd move by Redford, whos second feature is happy to ask questions rather than seeks answers for them.