Mysteries of Lisbon

Raúl Ruiz's 2010 Portuguese film is adapted from a nineteenth-century novel. A boy raised in an orphanage wants to know who he is, and every question he asks opens a new story until the narrative keeps branching. The structure is stories within stories. Father Dinis appears under a different identity in each part; the narrators change and who is telling is sometimes unclear. It runs beyond four hours. Ruiz keeps the camera moving and shoots his scenes in single takes. The period design is detailed and the narrative brings no line forward. The film is counted the most cited of Ruiz's late works. Who it's for: those who like literary adaptation and long-form narrative. Who it's not for: viewers expecting an easily followed structure; the film interweaves dozens of characters.