It’s hard to believe that before 2007's "Youth Without Youth", it was ten long years since Francis Ford Coppola directed a feature film.  It’s also hard to believe that the film he chose to go out on back in 1997 was “The Rainmaker”.  I like a good John Grisham movie, don’t get me wrong – but “The Rainmaker” lacked the epic feel that, like it or not, comes along with being the creator of “The Godfather”.  The evils of insurance companies just don’t stack up against fratricide.

So what has Coppola Senior been doing for the past couple years?  Aside from making wine and directing his daughter’s career, that is?  Turns out he’s been working on a little movie called “Tetro” with Vincent Gallo.  Wait!  Where are you going?  I’m pretty sure Gallo only acts in the movie!  For the love of Godfather people!  Give it a chance!

“Tetro” is the story a teenage boy who travels to Buenos Aires to locate his older brother who has been missing for ten years.  The boy finds his brother, now a troubled poet going by the name Tetro, and begins the process of getting to know the man with whom he shares a common and haunting past.

Though it deals with one of Coppola’s most-familiar themes – family secrets – “Tetro” does not look like it will ever catch on “Godfather” style.  Coppola has gone back to his arty roots in his dotage – resulting in a beautiful but remote-feeling black and white trailer that looks more like Italian avant-garde than anything Hollywood would willingly release. 

Perhaps that’s why a new film from one of America’s most-revered directors has received almost no fanfare – and why its trailer had to settle for a YouTube debut.  Then again, maybe the commercial prospects of “Tetro” have nothing to do with it.  Perhaps people just hate Vincent Gallo more than I thought…