The 1997 film “Testamento,” which comes to us from the Cape Verde Islands, suffers from an inability to break free of its source material, a well-received novel by Germano Almeida. While this semi-humorous story of a powerful businessman might work when embellished with descriptive prose and insightful asides, as cinematic drama it falls short. The tale, directed by Portuguese filmmaker Francisco Manso, begins with the death of Mr. Napumoceno (Nelson Xavier, in a strong performance), who built a hugely successful import-export business from the ground up. But when he inexplicably leaves his vast fortune to the daughter of a former mistress instead of to his scheming nephew, it sets in motion a series of flashbacks haphazardly strung together.”Testamento” opens Saturday at Facets Multimedia. (star)(star) Running time: 1:57. No MPAA rating (sexual situations). Portuguese; subtitled.
