While good actors, Winger and Malkovich are not particularly charismatic. Campbell Scott, while good-looking, has a lesser role. We suffer with the Malkovich character for what seems like a long time. Then there are long stretches in Act 3 with no dialogue other than grunting. So this is a film that doesn't pander to anyone. That said, however, the photography is shockingly beautiful, the music is complex, and if one is never quite sure what it's supposed to be 'about', that enhances its art-house bona fides. Easy for me to confuse this with Antonioni's 'The Passenger', starring Jack Nicholson (hard not to like), another cranky desert saga with sparse dialogue. I prefer 'The Passenger' but 'The Sheltering Sky' is not easily dismissed. With caveats, recommended.
Review of The Sheltering Sky
