Sokurov seeks to transport us into the gentle, lyrical world of the titular father and son, where most communication is made through gestures and glances, and the strength of the understanding and love shared between the lead characters is intuitively, palpably, oppressively understood. The tools Sokurov uses to take us there are similar to those used in the companion film, Mother and Son: stylized photography, with distorted, two-dimensional imagery, earth tones, Tchaikovsky-inspired music, understated acting. Though thematically and stylistically akin to Mother and Son, Father and Son fails to evoke the same profound emotions, try as hard as it may. The whole affair feels too empty, the numerous shots of a head resting silently, lovingly on a shoulder feel too affected. There's a whole lot syle here, but it's inadequate, for it's in service of something that doesn't amount to much.

Donald Brown