Mysteries of Lisbon (Blu-ray)

Raul Ruiz's masterful adaptation of the eponymous nineteenth-century Portuguese novel (by Camilo Castelo Branco) evokes the complex intertwined narratives of Victor Hugo and Charles Dickens. The core story centers on Joao, the bastard child of an ill-fated romance between two members of the aristocracy who are forbidden to marry, and his quest to discover the truth of his parentage. But this is just the start of an engrossing tale that follows a multitude of characters whose fates conjoin, separate and then rejoin again over three decades in Portugal, Spain, France and Italy.

Starring: Afonso Pimentel, Joao Luis Arrais, Maria Jo o Bastos, Maria João Bastos, S o Jos Correia, São José Correia, Adriano Luz, Maria Joao Bastos, Ricardo Pereira, Clotilde Hesme, Léa Seydoux, Melvil Poupaud, Malik Zidi, Albano Jeronimo, Joana de Verona, João Baptista, Julian Alluguette, Martin Loizillon, Rui Morisson

Director: Paulo Branco