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.

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.