Let me start by saying that I adore Herzog's "Aguirre" and Coppola's "Apocalypse Now" is one of my absolute favourite movies of all time. Contrary to what critics say, "Zama" is nowhere near aforementioned masterpieces. It is well crafted in technical terms, with great use of cinematography and sound design, but it is also self-righteous, pretentious and unbelievably boring. The characters don't evolve, the story goes nowhere, the social commentary is sparse (if any) and all you are left with is some nice shots and traits of black humour. It's not enough to constitute a good movie, obviously. If you want to see a good movie from Argentina, watch Pablo Trapero's "El Clan" instead.
Review of Zama
