Fridae

Five years ago, Russian director Andrei Zvyagintsev swept major prizes around the world with his masterpiece, The Return. Now Andrei himself has made a return with his second film, The Banishment, a delicate and haunting drama about infidelity and abortion.

Alex (Konstantin Lavronenko) takes a break from the city and goes to a rural retreat with his wife Vera (Maria Bonnevie) and their two children. Soon, the quiet Vera tells him that she is pregnant, but it is not his child. Alex's brother Mark (Alexander Baluev) may or may not have something to do with it.

Alex demands an abortion but Vera is resistant. As relationships between the three start to fray, sharp insights about the characters � and about us all � emerge...

Once again, director Andrei displays his extraordinary understanding of the cinematic medium. The characters' moods and emotions are underlined by the changing weather � from clear days to torrential rains. The Banishment is an intense, intimate and complex study of souls in anguish.

For cineastes, there is no better film right now. But for those of you with mainstream tastes, you're likely to be bored with this 2-hour-40-minute film.