Petra

Blending Greek tragedy with soap opera and told over a fractured chronology, Jaime Rosales' visually and emotionally dynamic Petra follows a young painter who joins the household of a famous artist...

Rosales's commitment to experimenting with novel approaches gives Petra an intriguing, engaging quality.

Ultimately...it's a formal experiment which falters in the second half, rendering several key sequences redundant and robbing the picture of an emphatic ending.

Wickedly written, smartly acted and expertly photographed, it's a treat for those who can stomach a higher level of perversity when watching their paternity dramas.