Lost in Karastan

Despite sharing scripting duties with Pawel Pawlikowski (My Summer of Love), writer/director Ben Hopkins never quite nails this satire on moviemaking and the complex politics of Eastern Europe. As this is Hopkins's first feature in six years, it's tempting to suggest there's a hint of autobiography in the opening scenes, as British director Matthew Macfadyen contemplates his forthcoming divorce and pines for his Oscar-winning, blockbusting days. However, the invitation to a festival retrospective boosts his spirits and he even welcomes dictator Richard van Weyden's request to make an epic about his fictional country's national hero. But morale soon sags, as the casting of wastrel Noah Taylor is followed by rebel assaults on the remote location and his incessant flirting with PR consultant MyAnna Buring. While bullishly played by all, this raises more broad laughs than potent points about art and politics. The cinematography admirably captures the grim grandeur of the decaying capital, but the story lacks the bite you'd expect from Pawlikowski and Hopkins.