Peninsula drifts into a bar . . .

La balsa de piedra (The stone raft)

(2002)

I've never much liked "magical realism" as a generic label, and I've been particularly resistant to it as applied to José Saramago--in part, I suppose, because I so love his novels that I don't want him to be tarred with a brush I disapprove of in the first place.

But having seen this plodding, unmagically unrealistic adaptation of Saramago's beautiful novel, I guess I have to give the label some props. Even Federico Luppi, some gorgeous but unspecified-on-IMDb locations, and a spectacular dog can't save this from blandness. Don't bother; but do read the book.

Oh, and for those of you who know Saramago in Portuguese who are wondering why it's not called A jangada de pedra, blame the Spanish contingent of the multinational production company. At least the Dutch didn't prevail with Het Stenen Vlot.