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Arabian Nights: Volume 2 -- The Desolate One

Play trailer Poster for Arabian Nights: Volume 2 -- The Desolate One Released Dec 11, 2015 2h 11m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 78% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Several stories demonstrate how desolation has invaded humanity.
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Arabian Nights: Volume 2 -- The Desolate One

Critics Reviews

View All (17) Critics Reviews
Wendy Ide Observer (UK) The cinematic language in which Gomes is working is immersive rather than strictly narrative. And as such, the occasional lapse of concentration hardly matters. Rated: 4/5 May 1, 2016 Full Review David Jenkins Little White Lies A glowing lovesong to Portugal performed by a man who has mastered a range of exotic instruments. Rated: 5/5 Apr 21, 2016 Full Review Bruce DeMara Toronto Star Some of the stories are genuinely affecting. But Gomes' arcane storytelling style and frequent use of absurdity will require a good deal of patience from filmgoers. Rated: 2.5/4 Jan 8, 2016 Full Review Dustin Chang Floating World Gomes's aim is to tell as many real stories of people of Portugal under economic siege, which explains the 6 hour running time. But he does so so effortlessly with his fluid, unhurried filmmaking. Feb 14, 2021 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Bracing, angry, hilarious, moving, and above all, highly original. Rated: 3.5/4 Jun 5, 2019 Full Review Kathy Fennessy The Stranger (Seattle, WA) The trilogy plays like a cry of frustration from a filmmaker who loves the people at the bottom and loathes the people at the top. Aug 21, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (7) audience reviews
Audience Member The bastard, the judge, the dog, and the dog's many owners. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member The second act of Gomes' surreal six-hour frame narrative moves at a brisker pace than the last, resulting in a viewing that is more engaging than it is frustrating. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member In short: Disappointing in spite of all positive review. I feel the need for a counter voice Saw this at the Filmfest 2015 Ghent (Belgium) as part of the section Global Cinema. There were 3 volumes a 2 hours screened after another with nearly an hour in between to stretch our legs. I admit upfront that I only saw the 2nd and 3rd volume. I missed nr 1 as it overlapped with another movie that I eagerly wanted to see. Maybe I missed important clues revealed in the 1st volume, as I found the two volumes that I actually saw disappointing, and then I express myself mildly. Of course, I was prejudiced by the very many positive reviews, and am fully prepared to think it's all my fault. Nevertheless, I urgently feel the need to raise a counter voice, as I had serious trouble to find another review supporting my negative opinion. I located one (and only one) submitted as a user review on IMDB by FrostyChud, dated 5th of August 2015, titled "One of the worst films I've ever seen." very appropriately The only part that I found edible was in Volume 2, the middle part "The tears of the judge". It started all right while revealing a chain of guilt and misdeed involving nearly all present in court, though it became a bit silly after a cow entered the proceedings, and the group of five masked crooks did not make it any better. The intentions of the other two stories in Volume 2 escaped me. The whole 3-volume project was announced as commentary on Portuguese economical politics, but I failed to connect the dots. Same a fortiori applies to Volume 3. I did not see Volume 1, and I don't regret missing it in any way. Still wondering about the many positive reviews. Technically there is nothing wrong with this tour-de-force that lasts over 6 hours in total: camera, lighting, casting and acting seem all right, and it looks like all participants did the best they could with the material at hand. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member 7.4/10, my review: http://wp.me/p1eXom-2rs Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member Cinema Extraordinaire!! A very ambitious political anthology done with style. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member http://www.clevelandmovieblog.com/2016/02/arabian-nights-volume-2-desolate-one.html Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Arabian Nights: Volume 2 -- The Desolate One

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Movie Info

Synopsis Several stories demonstrate how desolation has invaded humanity.
Director
Miguel Gomes
Producer
Sandro Aguilar, Thomas Ordonneau, Luís Urbano
Screenwriter
Miguel Gomes, Mariana Ricardo, Telmo Churro
Distributor
Kino Lorber
Production Co
arte France Cinéma, Komplizen Film, O Som e a Fúria, Shellac Sud, Agat Films - Ex nihilo, Box Production
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Brazilian Portuguese
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 11, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.2K
Runtime
2h 11m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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