Hey all. Capone in Chicago here.

Director Milos Forman (ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOOS NEST, AMADEUS, THE PEOPLE VS. LARRY FLYNT) is one of the few gods still making movies today. His films are not always easy to embrace, but I can't think of a time when he has shown signs of letting his vision waver or his enthusiasm falter. GOYA'S GHOST is a mesmerizing film that had me experience every emotion available to me: outrage, compassion, revulsion, pity and, finally, an overwhelming confirmation that throughout history justice is rarely served in full. As the title suggests, the film involved the celebrated 18th century Spanish artist Francisco Goya (played as something of a duplicitous business man by Stellan Skarsgard. Goya worked for royalty and religious leaders, but he also did a series of etchings that painted the church in an unfavorable light. (Remember that Goya worked in during the time of the Spanish Inquisition.)

But the character of Goya is more of an observer of events than an full-fledged participant. He is our eyes and ears, and his life in these changing revolutionary times never really seems in danger. Playing both sides of the fence had its advantages. One of his major subjects in the church was Brother Lorenzo (the soft-spoken but utterly creepy Javier Bardem), who worked closely within the Inquisition's inner sanctum without actually taking part in any of their more wicked pursuits. While posing for Goya, he notices the face of a young woman in one of the other paintings in the room. He recognizes her as a frequent model for Goya, and it's clear that his holy loins are rumbling for her. The woman in question is the teenage Ines (Natalie Portman), the daughter of a local businessman who is brutally tortured and sent to prison for being Jewish (Ines is not Jewish, but when a casual comment about not liking pork is overheard in a tavern, the wheels of the Inquisition begin turning against her).

Since Ines' family is also a major commission of Goya's, he begs Lorenzo to intercede on behalf of the family to get her out of jail. Lorenzo is unsuccessful in his attempts, but he does visit Ines in jail more than once to "pray with her," a process which leads to his taking advantage of her vulnerable state.

Fifteen years pass, the church's brutal behavior has taken its toll on the populace. Napoleon takes advantage of what he perceives as a turning of the tide and invades Spain, killing and arresting those in power (including Ines' family) and freeing those held in prisons as a result of the Inquisition. The sight of Portman's character after 15 years in a nasty jail is one I will never forget. I didn't think it was possible for me to be repulsed by the lovely Natalie, but Forman manages the impossible. She looks 70 years old, when in fact Ines is supposed to be in her 30s. Her jaw seems out of line, her hair and skin have faded to colorless. But the true testament to Portman's talents as an actress, she maintains a look in her eye--half mad, half dead--that is impossible to shake. She's also almost completely insane as she's cut loose into the world with no family or friends. Somehow she lands on Goya's doorstep, where she mentions she had a daughter in prison which was taken from her immediately.

Not knowing the connection between Ines and the priest, Goya seeks help from Lorenzo in finding the child, and the two men race to find out her whereabouts. I don't want to reveal too much more beyond this point in the plot, since so much more happens and GOYA'S GHOST does manage to have more than a few surprises before its bittersweet conclusion. Portman and Bardem are glorious in their roles. I've long been a Bardem admirer, and he's managed to make so many great films without really being recognized as one of the most dependable and strong actors working today. The good news is, we'll be seeing him more this year in much higher-profile works than this, which is in no way me telling you to ignore his work here. Quite the contrary, this is one of his most unusual roles. Lorenzo seems like an otherwise admirable man until he starts molesting Ines in prison, an event that seems to take him almost by surprise.

I wish I knew how much of what happens in GOYA'S GHOST is based on fact, but even if the film is total fiction, I'd recommend it without reservation. If I had to fault the film for anything, it's that I didn't learn all that much about Goya himself, besides the fact that he lost his hearing at some point in his life. But Goya as the not-so-casual observer and occasional participant is exactly what is needed in a story that is really about this unique and moving story of the priest and the young woman. It's not a movie that is always pleasant to experience (if you did find it all agreeable, I'd think there was something wrong with you), but it is one that is easy to appreciate and respect the craftsmanship of one of the world's great living filmmakers.

Capone