Wild and Precious is a Maverick filmmaker's film because with it Mousoulis provides the best modern example of how to fully exploit the freedoms of a low-budget production without veering from narrative form. Here he is taking on a global theme with a handful of true artistic talents. W&P has Greece's recent and dramatic socio-economic troubles as a back-drop, a unique, mature and charismatic lead, engaging, diverse and well-cast supporting characters, and a simple yet seductive narrative all under Mousoulis' deceptively subtle direction. I was transported to two foreign lands and languages (I've never been to Greece nor to Italy) and I met eclectic characters that were, amidst a backdrop of seething tension, rendered so human by delicate and committed performances given within the restrained story arc. There were 2 brief moments during Mousoulis' low-budget art film when I asked myself if I was watching either a documentary, or THE documentary within the film's narrative. The simple fact that I never bothered to answer that question belies Mousoulis' true talent as a filmmaker. He has the ability to construct out of drama, story arcs, 3 acts, etc., a window through which we look at real people, us, dealing with real life. That, ie 'real life', doesn't sound at all as, yep, wild and precious in my sentence as it is in this film. Congratulations to all involved.
Review of Wild and Precious
