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Arabian Nights: Volume 2, the Desolate One
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7.8
/10
1,430 Ratings

ARABIAN NIGHTS: VOLUME 2, THE DESOLATE ONE

As Mil e Uma Noites: Volume 2, O Desolado

Directed by Miguel Gomes
Portugal, France, 2015
Drama
  • 133133 minutes

Synopsis

An elderly criminal becomes a folk hero as he successfully evades hordes of police. A stern judge oversees a case involving 13 stolen cows, mail-order brides, a genie, and a machete-wielding human lie detector. A Maltese poodle shuffles between households in a recession-stricken estate.

Synopsis

An elderly criminal becomes a folk hero as he successfully evades hordes of police. A stern judge oversees a case involving 13 stolen cows, mail-order brides, a genie, and a machete-wielding human lie detector. A Maltese poodle shuffles between households in a recession-stricken estate.

Our take

The second installment of Miguel Gomes’ magnum opus is arguably the most melancholic of the three. While the whole trilogy is a unique blend of fine irony, dark humor, blissful fantasy, and fervent commitment to the present, this middle section confirms Arabian Nights as the ultimate political film.