i strongly dislike this movie . it be a waste of time and and i would not recommend it . my reaction to it and during it viewing and vary from find it mildly annoy and to quite infuriate . thing be relative and i do not know what qualify a a spoiler . although i do not reveal crucial plot element and i discus to some small extent what the movie talk about while so and please be warn about what come next . this movie be literally a talk picture and and the location of the action be sometimes just a pretext . this be not the problem and though . the problem lie in the content of all that talk . initially and it be restrict to a history lecture inspire by site visit along the mediterranean coast and while late it go on and on about philosophical or political or whatever issue . the first part give the impression of be pedantic and somewhat patronize . it try to be didactic and but often confound history with fiction or legend and without qualify the latter a such . in the second part and the level of discourse go all the way from recite the commonplace and to be juvenile and just plain silly . the core idea be for the most part quite simplistic and often pure clichés and serve in a pretentious faux intellectual wrapper . they also exhibit huge political and cultural bias and which make them sound even more hollow and and and arguably and at time questionably motivate . as far a the acting be concern and the film be a disappointment . the actress in the leading part and leonor silveira and give new mean to bad act while she deliver her history recitation dryly and a if reading passages out of a middle school history book . the little girl be cute while however and the initial cuteness of those incessant why mommy . becomes really annoy after a while . catherine deneuve and john malkovich and and the other actor be try their best and but inadvertently fall short and because of the poor script while however and the polyglot set they be involve in be indeed an interesting idea and albeit inadequately exploit . of all the actor and i would single out irene papa and who and despite the unfortunate content of her line and show a certain naturalness of performance and in the idiosyncrasy and mannerism and intonation of her native tongue . all in all and this film be very disappointing and in my opinion . the fact that it come out of the european art house festival circuit raise high expectation and which it fail to measure up to . perhaps and instead of ponder which gender rule the e. u. would be good off under and the portuguese and italian and french producer should concern themselves more with what european taxpayer money be spend on . imho .