His terrific “The Runner,” an exemplar of neorealist-style storytelling first shown in the 1980s, should be more widely available. A current retrospective of Mr. Naderi’s movies at the Museum of Modern Art includes a run of his latest film, “Monte” — which again tries something totally different. But Agostino wishes to remain where his ancestors lived, and Nina won’t leave their daughter’s grave. Like Albert Serra’s “Quixotic/Honor de Cavalleria,” “Monte” demonstrates how to suggest an epic scale without the means of a Hollywood production. “Monte” weds these straightforward elements to a fittingly stark narrative: Agostino sets out to conquer the mountain that keeps his farm barren by chipping away at it bit by bit.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2018 17:27 UTC