The Devil's Tail

Running time: 87 mins

How far would you go to retrieve what is rightfully yours? What price would you pay? And whose help would you accept? Making "friends" with the Devil has a terrible price. In the new world of gangsters and politics, it is always best to know with whom you're dealing, what they're offering, and what it is they really want. Composer-musician Pavel is no exception to the established rule that artists live life on the edge. Though he can barely make ends meet, he is (with the help of his beautiful opera singer girlfriend, Sonya, and a discreetly placed $4,000 bribe) able to claim the family villa, in hopes of beginning a quiet life there together. But all is not so simple as it seems. There are others who want the villa, others who won't be so easy to deal with. Pavel's world turns upside-down overnight when, at the very moment Sonya's career success guarantees their future prospects, Pavel indulges in a passionate love affair with a beguiling student-an affair that Pavel finds has a very high price. This fascinating, multi-layered film announces the renaissance of an exciting new Bulgarian cinema, as director Dimiter Petkov shies from the conventional thriller and uses mysticism and multi-planed narration to create an engaging, character-driven film. Reviewed by Charlie Cockey