Llosa, daughter of the author Mario Vargas Llosa, employs symbolism so overwrought, her material might well have been better served as a text-even given the film's abundant visual virtues (particularly its spectacular use of landscape).

The metaphors are so crystal-clear and the story unfolds at such a deliberate, often infuriatingly slow pace that the impact of the drama is muted.

"The Milk of Sorrow" is constrained by a rarefied screenplay and a near-mute central performance.

Llosa, in only her second feature, reveals a maturity and confidence of a more experienced filmmaker.