OUTHERE I Barocchisti, Diego Fasolis - Orlando Furioso (2 DVD)

The young nobleman Orlando is commanded by Queen Elizabeth I to never grow old and to never die -- and he continues to live on as an immortal, struggling with love, life, and even gender, in this lavishly produced indie period film from 1992 based on a Virginia Woolf novel.

Orlando is a young nobleman who is given eternal youth by Elizabeth I, so that he can change between centuries (and sexes) to try and find a meaning in life and love.

Orlando is a unique and oftentimes mesmerizing little picture that takes a story usually reserved for fantastical Science Fiction and personalizes it through a unique journey through time that's more about the person rather than the questions that surround an ageless and sex-changing wonder. The film tones down the science and emphasizes the humanity of the story, making it something of a unique journey into a soul that sees the world quite unlike any other person that's ever lived. Supported by steady direction, a quality score, and a superb lead performance, Orlando is small film that's big on smarts. Sony's Blu-ray release of Orlando sports a fair technical presentation and a strong, albeit primarily vintage and standard definition, assortment of extra content. Highly recommended.

Orlando is a curiously introspective piece for a genre known for its florid extroversion. This particular production has some flaws in its reimaginings of various characters, but it's superbly sung, acted, and played, and even Handel purists will probably be swayed by those aspects and be willing to forgive its excesses. Recommended .