than 80 minutes is suddenly felt, making sense of Busu's presence. But it's not enough to retroactively turn the film into a devastating, or at least humorous, dissection of a society blithely willing to sacrifice kin for fleeting comfort. "Son" is peppered with numerous scenes and characters that go nowhere: A musical number seems lifted from another pic, while conversations cut off by passing trains have no function. Cipri is a fine d.p. with impressive credits, though apart from the dull colors of the Ciraulo scenes and the brighter tones of the present, the visuals leave little distinguishing marks here. Carlo Crivelli's compositions are an odd mix of Nino Rota and Maurice Ravel (supplemented by baroque orchestrations), fitting into a traditional Italian satirical vibe. The Apulian city of Brindisi and outskirts fill in for Palermo.