Eccentricities of a Blonde-haired Girl review

This elliptical moral tale from 101-year-old Portuguese director Manoel de Oliveira sees earnest accountant Macário (Ricardo Trêpa, de Oliveira’s grandson) fall for an alluring blonde across the street (Catarina Wallenstein), to the disapproval of his uncle (Diogo Dória).

Nominally set in modern Lisbon, Eccentricities weaves a dream-like atmosphere, in which the characters are strangely constrained by old-fashioned social codes.

Contrasting elegant surfaces and heartfelt feelings, it’s an enigmatic gem – and at 64 mins, truly succinct.