Larry Oliver Film Reviews

  Do film directors have an obligation to tell stories in an expansive, dramatic way? Not always. Relationships are messy, complicated and often unresolved. Italian co-writer-director Laura Bispuri’s third feature, Il Paradiso del Pavone ( Peacock’s Paradise ) explores this in an engaging way, with two gasp-making moments. The heavy metaphor in its title – reflecting one of the character’s pets – gives the film a distinctive edge. You may not remember the title, but you’ll recall the film as ‘the one with a peacock in it’, which is, as far as I know, not an episode of Friends . A peacock, otherwise known as ‘pavo’ or ‘Afropavo’ (thank you, National Geographic ) is the male of the species – its female counterpart is known as a peahen. Collectively, they are known as peafowl. Their feathers form a train that makes up sixty-per cent of their body weight. Blue peacocks – the variety featured in the film – are typically found in India and Sri Lanka. When they want to impress a peahen...