Gardens In Autumn Review

The spirit of Jacques Tati clearly descended on Otar Iosseliani during the making of this leisurely satire on transcient power and the vacuity of modern life. Dismissed during a public scandal, government minister Séverin Blanchet is relieved to be emancipated from his sinecure and its dubious privileges as unemployment allows him to catch up with friends discarded during his ascent. Filmed in long, often silent takes, Iosseliani makes exquisite use of locations and allows the gags time to evolve. A film of sly and wry observations, Michel Piccoli adds a delicious drag turn as Blanchet’s ageing mother.