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Review

From young Slovakian director Vladimir Adasek comes this poetic, funny, sexy and even musical feature film. Our main character is Martin, a cute young fellow in the midst of enduring an identity crisis and the even more difficult dramas of his rather insane, eccentric family. One of them prefers quiet and putting together miniature train stations. One demolishes greenhouses. And yet others jump out windows or even kill! Poor sexually confused Martin would prefer someone to simply understand him – like elderly neighbor Theodora, who surrounds herself with dusty photography, books, and a birth-giving cat, Rudo. But there's also a mystery connection between Theodora and Martin's family, a mystery which leads to the local cabaret and a male singer named Hannah.

Alternating between Martin's drama and musical interludes set in a Bob Fosse-esque Cabaret, Hannah and Her Brothers may look dark at times, but it's ultimately hopeful and sweet as Slovakian candy. With a cast of unforgettable characters, male and female, young and old, there's something for everyone. A rare queer Eastern European offering.

 -- Lawrence Ferber