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Film: The Past Is A Foreign Land
Release date: 4th October 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 127 mins
Director: Daniele Vicari
Starring: Elio Germano, Michele Riondino, Chiara Caselli, Valentina Lodovini, Marco Baliani
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Studio: Vita
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
Although still in the fledgling era of his directorial career, Daniele Vicari takes on a challenging narrative in the form of the classic good-guy-meets-bad-crowd in The Past Is A Foreign Land. Despite a not so original premise, Vicari endeavours to explore the dishonesty of the subterranean gaming world, and the moral abandonment of the players involved.
Set in the southern Italian city of Bari, the film follows the story of Giorgio (played by the compelling Elio Germano), a straight-up law student from a well-off family who support his ambitions to the full, forever throwing money at him, whether he requests it or not. With girlfriend in tow, Giorgio appears readymade for greatness.
Giorgio’s life takes a turn when he meets Francesco (Michele Riondino) at a party. Francesco lives a charmed life as a swindling card-sharp, having learnt various twists and tricks to assist in conning fellow poker players out of vast amounts of cash. “We challenge fate and we beat it,” is Francesco’s retort of rationality when Giorgio becomes aware of his dark intentions.
Like clockwork, and perhaps as expected, a downward spiral is just around the corner, as Giorgio’s priorities switch from the pursuit of academic success to chasing the quick buck. Loved ones fall by the wayside as the new version of Giorgio begins to take hold, but the extent of the havoc Francesco wreaks stretches far deeper than dodgy card games and flash cars, towards an astonishing and disturbing drug-fuelled climax…
Rather commendably, Vicari employs only characters that are paramount in telling the story. From Giorgio’s mother, and her disappointed parent routine, to the tempestuous nature of his indignant father, through Francesco’s multiple-personality disorder, and ultimately, the psychological breakdown of Giorgio - every character; every look; every conversation has a purpose. Nor does Vicari waste any time with unnecessary scenes or dialogue, refusing to pay any homage to Bari as a setting, instead diving unapologetically into the narrative from the first minute to the very last.
Elio Germano and Michele Riondino deserve much credit for bringing the script to life. The two anti-heroes bond like long-lost brothers, with conversations regarding morality of particular focus throughout. As Francesco slowly manipulates Giorgio’s previously honest demeanour into something far more menacing, and, more importantly, into someone he can use for his own financial benefit.
The methods utilised to con fellow poker players at the table, coupled with the constant danger of someone discovering what they are up to, raise the level of intrigue, and make the opening hour of the film slightly more compelling than the second. However, one minor complaint is Vicari’s reluctance to really focus on the card games. Too often Giorgio and Francesco come away from games with several thousand Euros, but we have witnessed only one key hand, and in too many cases we only hear the characters talking about the cards or the winning hand, rather than being shown.
The second half of the film, whilst devoting itself entirely to the psychological and moral breakdown of the two leads, is more than watchable, but it is clear that we are not supposed to be comfortable with what we see. Whereas earlier in the film, Giorgio’s conscience would often pipe up at any sign of trouble, Francesco is able to stretch the boundaries of morality much further, while Giorgio remains worryingly quiet. As Vicari takes the film to the point of no return, it becomes clear that fans will be won and lost in the final shocking twenty minutes.
Atmospherically, Vicari has constructed something impeccably eerie, particularly in the latter stages, as he toils with the darkest aspects of the human psyche. Although it is arguable that The Past Is A Foreign Land ends up in a slightly far-fetched place, the two leads succeed in maintaining our interest in their final fates. MC
Film: Blame It On Fidel
Release date: 26th May 2008
Certificate: 12
Running time: 99 mins
Director: Julie Gavras
Starring: Nina Kervel-Bey, Julie Depardieu, Stefano Accorsi, Benjamin Feuillet, Martine Chevallier
Genre: Drama/History
Studio: ICA
Format: DVD
Country: Italy/France
Adapted from the novel by Domitilla Calamai, and directed by Julie Gavras, Blame It On Fidel is a coming of age story with a difference. Taking the lead from her father, internationally acclaimed filmmaker Costa Gavras, the director has created a political drama set in 1970s France, filmed from the point if view of its 9-year-old protagonist.
Anna is a child of the French bourgeoisie - and proud of it. She lives in a big house in Paris with a garden, and all her and her brother François’s needs are taken care of by their Cuban born Nanny, Philomena. Her father, Fernando, is a successful lawyer, and her mother, Marie, is a journalist for Marie Claire; life is pretty swell. Unfortunately, the arrival of her Spanish activist aunt soon puts an end to all of this, much to Anna’s consternation.
At the start of the film Fernando attempts to explain to Anna that his sister and niece had to be smuggled out of Spain, after his brother-in-law was killed for his political beliefs, and cannot go home. Anna immediately senses the threat to their way of life, and rightly so. Fernando’s guilt at not helping his sister earlier, and the unexpected support of his wife, leads him to quit his job and go to Chile to support the socialist Allende’s campaign for power.
Anna is left increasingly concerned by her parents changed behaviour – they move to a small apartment, have an array of migrant nannies, invite a load of Communists around for dinner, and her mother takes up feminism and compiles a book on women’s experiences of abortion – it is a lot for a 9-year-old to take on board.
Anna retaliates in a series of amusing ways, including turning the lights and heating off to save money and eventually stealing from her class mates, convinced that if they only had more cash they could move back to the big house and life would get back to normal. But, eventually, through her conversations with the adults who surround her, and despite of her parents inconsistencies, Anna starts to adapt to, and even enjoy, her new life…
Blame It On Fidel deals with the complexities of a young girl trying to get to grips with the world. In Anna’s case, this involves forming complex political and religious beliefs. The film is shot from the child’s point of view, and the viewer is as limited in their understanding of events as Anna is herself. She learns about what is going on around her by overhearing conversations, but also through listening to stories that people tell her. At the start of the film, Anna tells her mother that her favourite story is that of Genesis, and her understanding of religion is limited to the narrow view of Catholicism, but by the end she has learnt tales from Greek mythology and Vietnamese folklore, not to mention the ideals of Communist atheism. As a director, Gavras draws the viewers’ attention to the power of stories in forming the beliefs of a society.
When it becomes apparent that Anna’s parents have become Communists, Philomena is outraged and tells Anna that Communists forced her from her home and made her flee to France for safety. She describes them as bearded and red, which turns out to be amusingly close to the truth. Her grandmother is also judgemental of their politics, and believes that communists want to take away her money and house. Anna confronts her parent’s friends with these stereotypes but they laugh it off and try to explain their point of view, utilising an orange as the world cut into segments to be shared. At the beginning of the film, we also see Anna cutting fruit; she lauds it over the other children at the wedding and considers them below her when they do not cut their fruit as neatly. Through these linked scenes, and the symbolism in each of them, the viewer can see that Anna has grown.
There is often humour in this film, which could so easily have been a dry political commentary on post ‘68 France. This is best captured when Anna tries to play shop with the revolutionaries sharing her home, and adds a massive mark-up to the price of the plastic plates on her stall utilising free market economics, while the men try and explain the concept of the redistribution of wealth.
Kervel plays the part of Anna brilliantly throughout, and was picked by the director out of 400 other girls because she so closely resembled the character. This is not to take away from her acting ability, which shines through every pouting mouth and tantrum, ensuring that the viewer cannot help but be on her side through it all as it becomes apparent how fallible and inexplicable adults can be.
Blame It On Fidel is a beautifully shot, well-rounded drama that remains true to its main character and the mood of 1970s France. It can be both confusing and frustrating as the viewer to be forced into the position of a child, but the humour of the film, made possible by this disparity, more than makes up for it. EM
Film: Cosmonaut
Release date: 8th November 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 85 mins
Director: Susanna Nicchiarelli
Starring: Claudia Pandolfi, Sergio Rubini, Angelo Orlando, Susanna Nicchiarelli, Miriana Raschillà
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Studio: VITA
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
Susanna Nichiarelli accentuates her growing reputation for eye-opening direction as she delves into the communist-dominated world of the ‘50s and ‘60s, through the coming of age story of central character Luciana, played by Marianna Raschillà, who delivers a suitably hormonal performance, fuelled by her larger-than-life experiences as a teenager.
Having lost her father long before she developed any awareness of the world around her, much of Luciana’s ideology has been shaped by her older brother, Arturo, whose mind has been partially distorted by the drugs he takes to control his epilepsy. Arturo’s universe revolves around the Soviet Union’s exploration of space, and this universe becomes Luciana’s over the course of her childhood.
As her hormones begin to take their hold, Luciana takes a fancy to Vittorio, the leader of the Italian Federation of Young Communists (FIGC), and the dreams she has shared with her brother fully become her own. She endeavours to impress Vittorio by displaying her ambitions of becoming the first woman into space, although whether or not these ambitions are merely a means of impressing a boy is not initially clear.
With her father’s legacy a prominent feature throughout, she struggles for someone to turn to in her times of need, and in her father’s absence, Luciana’s personal life begins to unravel…
The ideals of communism are what unite the film’s central characters, and footage of early Soviet missions help set the scene throughout Cosmonaut. Early on, we witness a number of FIGC meetings, which assist in demonstrating the importance of the communist values not just to Arturo, but also to Vittorio and many of the other members, as they strain to be heard over one another. What is rarely apparent, particularly in the opening stages, is how invested Luciana is. With one lustful look after another at Vittorio, we see little evidence of anything other than the seeds of first love, along with some thinly veiled attempts at displaying this love.
One area in which Nichiarelli excels is in developing empathy with her protagonist. As it is relatively difficult to develop understanding in the outdated values of communism, instead she concentrates much of her attention on Luciana’s woes as a teenager. In giving the audience scenarios they can identify with; fighting over a boy, pining for someone, and watching that person fall into the arms of someone else, Nichiarelli subtly introduces emotional crutches throughout.
It must also be said that the cast does imperious justice to the story. Marianna Raschillà does the simple things well, and contrasts fleeting moments of happiness with Vittorio and her, at times, tempestuous home life to such degree that the characters surrounding her cannot help but follow suit. Never is this more compelling than in the scenes with Sergio Rubini, who portrays the wealthy stepfather to perfection, constantly striving to accomplish the semblance of familial aura that Luciana never quite allows him to.
Despite a slightly short running time, Cosmonaut endeavours to resolve every strand of narrative, and achieves this successfully, drifting away from its communist overtures just in time to conclude the fate of each character. The audience comes away sensing that not only Luciana, but also her friends and family, have come through a personal test in one form or another. These character arcs are ultimately the fulcrum of Nichiarelli’s story.
Another aspect Nichiarelli deserves credit for is developing the mise-en-scène without becoming overbearing. By electing to simply scatter footage of various space missions throughout, Nichiarelli does not see the need to take this any further; we just know the film is set in ‘50s and 1960s Rome. This allows the characters to stay at the focal point of the film, where they can make the utmost impact. Even the soundtrack is moving but never distracting, as Nichiarelli utilises the crisp sound of revamped songs from the era, the emotive twangs of which sit in the background and subtly accentuate the events of the film.
With the help of a tremendous cast, Susanna Nichiarelli conjures a simplistic yet intriguing story which documents teenage melodrama on the subtle background of the Soviet technological advances of the period. By peeling away any potential complications, Nichiarelli allows the audience to concentrate its attention on the complex human emotions portrayed throughout. MC
Isa Miranda, one of Italy's greatest stars, plays the role of a star (in the part that made her a star), pressed to revisit the entire history of her lovers to the present moment through an inexorable web of flashbacks brought on by the anaesthetic following a failed suicide attempt. From the record revolving on a turntable in the picture's opening moments, Ophuls sets into motion one of those roundelays with fate that he alone could pull off with such eminent elegance.
A precursor to the romantic themes that would culminate in Lola Montès, Ophuls' vertiginous La Signora Di Tutti serves brilliantly as both a critique of one grande dame's own powerful narcissism, and an elevation of her glacial femininity to the level of sublime fetish.
This is the first time the film has been released on DVD, with a beautiful new transfer from pristine film materials in its original 1.37:1 aspect ratio. The film is packaged with a lengthy booklet containing a new and exclusive essay on the film by filmmaker and critic Luc Moullet; newly translated excerpts of an interview with star Isa Miranda; and remarks by director Max Ophuls.
Film: La Signora Di Tutti
Release date: 15th November 2010
Certificate: PG
Running time: 86 mins
Director: Max Ophuls
Starring: Isa Miranda, Memo Benassi, Tatyana Pavlova, Friedrich Benfer, Franco Coop
Genre: Drama
Studio: Eureka!
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
DVD Special Features:
•
A new and exclusive video essay about the film by film scholar Tag Gallagher
Film: I Am Love
Release date: 13th September 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 120 mins
Director: Luca Guadagnino
Starring: Tilda Swinton, Flavio Parenti, Edoardo Gabbriellini, Alba Rohrwacher, Pippo Delbono
Genre: Drama
Studio: Metrodome
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
Tilda Swinton’s career, much like her personal life, is nothing if not interesting. From Hollywood blockbusters to independent and art house cinema, her performances have seen her take on a variety of issues and roles. In Luca Guadagnino’s I Am Love, she tackles Italian high society in early 21st century Milan, in a story of adultery, wealth and loyalty which delves below the surface of the decadent lifestyle it portrays.
Emma (Swinton) is a Russian born wife of an upper class businessman living in Milan. At a birthday party thrown for her father-in-law, Edoardo (Gabriele Ferzetti), the old man announces that he is to retire from the family textile company and names his son, Tancredi (Pipo Delbono), and grandson, Edoardo Jr. (Flavio Parenti), as his successors.
As the party draws to a close, Edoardo Jr. receives a visit from his chef friend Antonio (Edoardo Gabbriellini), and Emma seems drawn towards him. Later, she travels to his home to see the site where he and Edoardo intend to start a restaurant together. Here, they begin an affair which reignites Emma’s zest for life, but will have terrible consequences for her family…
As the camera cuts through various shots of a snow-covered Milan, and John Adam’s orchestral soundtrack soars above the skyline, it is clear, right from the opening, that I Am Love is going to be a visual and aural experience. Every shot exudes class and conviction, as the cinematography, lighting and camera work all combine to joyous effect. This is, for the most part, not merely superficial; rather it is a means of visually representing one of the themes of Guadagnino’s story; the lavish, extravagant nature of the world in which his characters live. This is made clear by the way we are first introduced to Antonio, through a window which blocks him from our full view, suggesting that he is an outsider who does not belong in this world, and will thus disrupt it. However, the roaming and predominantly unobtrusive camera does not invite us to judge characters in a particular way; instead it simply lets the story unfold in all its visual splendour, allowing us to formulate our own opinions as we watch.
Sensuality seems to be central to experiencing the film, and it is something that Guadagnino does very well. The contrast between the scenes in winter and in summer exemplify this, as we can almost feel the winter’s chill or the warm, radiant summer sun through the excellent use of light and colour. The use of food is also a way of heightening the sensual nature of many of the scenes and, as well as playing an important role in the plot, food often symbolises the experience of pleasure, particularly for Emma. Food plays an important role in her relationship with Antonio, not only because he is a chef, but because it signifies the change that she has brought about in him, allowing her to rediscover what her passions in life are, and to treasure them.
The plot flows extremely well, and is also well layered, with subplots offering interesting points of comparison to the story of Emma and Antonio’s affair. For example, when Emma discovers that her daughter is involved in a relationship with another woman, it causes her to think about boundaries and conventions, and how defying them in pursuit of love has made her daughter so happy. The story involving the potential sale of the family company suggests that what we are witnessing is not only the end of a marriage, but the end of an entire family - the death of a way of life.
This being said, considering the film deals with such heavy emotional material, it is difficult not to wish that Guadagnino would delve a little bit deeper into his characters. We get a sense through the performances of the actors of the passion that exists between Emma and Antonio, but the reasons for them falling so deeply in love are never looked at in much detail. Characterisation is something that is unfortunately lacking, as we are introduced to several characters, such as Tancredi and Edoardo Jr., who seem very interesting, but we do not learn as much about them as we would like to. The film’s conclusion suffers from being somewhat melodramatic, but this is only in relation to how emotionally restrained the rest of it has been, and had we had a deeper sense of the characters involved in the build-up, the ending may well have worked far better. This is a small complaint, however, as I Am Love is a rich and layered piece of cinema, delivered with flair and style.
Full of elegance and class, and backed up by some powerhouse performances, I Am Love may be, at times, a victory of style over substance; but what an enjoyable victory it is. PK
Film: Salò, Or The 120 Days Of Sodom
Release date: 29th September 2008
Certificate: 18
Running time: 112 mins
Director: Pier Paolo Pasolini
Starring: Paolo Bonacelli, Laura Betti, Giorgio Cataldi, Umberto Paolo Quintavalle, Aldo Valletti
Genre: Crime/Drama/Horror
Studio: BFI
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy/France
Salo, or 120 Days Of Sodom is possibly the most controversial film of all time - banned in almost every country since its release, it has been condemned for its graphic scenes of rape, torture and murder. Adding to its notoriety, writer and director Pier Paolo Pasolini was murdered - run over several times by his own car - shortly after its release.
Based on the book by the Marquis de Sade, it follows the tale of four perverse high-class members of society, the Duke, the Bishop, the Magistrate and the President, during Nazi occupied Italy in 1944.
After marrying one another’s daughters, they (with help of a group of militant young men and ageing prostitutes) capture and imprison nine young men and nine young women in a large mansion, forcing them to perform humiliating, degrading and debauched sexual acts.
We follow them through 120 days in four parts, starting with the aforementioned capture, before the Circle of Mania, where one of the ageing prostitutes parades around the hall, accompanied by another prostitute on piano, reminiscing about the early days of her occupation, while the four libertines, surrounded by their chosen slaves, eagerly listen to her every word, involving uneasy stories about underage prostitution.
We then enter the Circle of Shit, a truly horrific section of the film. The second ageing prostitute tells her tales of men in nappies, and the consumption of excrement.
The final part of the film, the Circle of Blood, sees the guards and slaves married in a mass wedding. Accepting their fate, the slaves begin to turn on one another, telling the libertines of rules being broken, which includes the possession of photos, prayers, inter-slave relations and going to the toilet. The wrong doers are then tortured in hideous and extreme ways, to which the masters take in turns to watch in voyeuristic fashion...
The film quickly unsettles. With about three words spoken in the opening fifteen minutes, you sense the entrapment and uneasiness the director’s portraying. Maintaining this throughout, the dialogue is scarce, but when it does arrive, it’s undeniably affecting. The prostitutes’ tales, and tirades from the masters makes for uncomfortable listening, yet, in parts, the dialogue flows almost poetically and song like, augmented by the uneasy visuals.
The acting is believable, and you feel for every one of the characters, as they are forced to bear the unbearable. During the Circle of Shit section of the film, you witness two of the most difficult scenes in cinema history. Unable to control herself, the “bride” begins sobbing. This disgusts The Duke, who strips her and throws her to the ground, unbuckling his trousers and defecating on the floor before forcing her to eat his “gift” with a spoon. This brings the film’s most infamous scene. Excited by what they have witnessed, the rest of the group demand a ‘feast’ be served that evening - three minutes of open-mouthed, look away footage, as huge platters of faeces are served to everyone, the slaves crying and balking as they eat, while the masters, their guards and prostitutes lap it up with gusto.
Standout performances come from Elsa De Giorgi and Hélène Surgère as the two prostitutes showing child-like excitement at the revolting stories they tell; their ageing faces plastered with make up giving them a ghostly appearance. Paolo Bonacelli as the Duke and Umberto Paolo Quintavalle as the Magistrate brilliantly represent the debauched element of the film, joyfully deploying human suffering and humiliation and thriving in the rape and torture of others.
Playing the part of innocence, Dori Henke puts in a strong performance as the reluctant faeces eating female slave. Although she does little more than sob, the scene where she cries for her mother and is mocked and beaten is genuinely disturbing.
The film is sometimes quite tricky to follow, with parts of the film jumping from scene to scene without warning, leaving you struggling to follow who is who and what is happening to whom. However, the film’s main strength is its ability to provoke, forcing the viewer to question beyond the events that unfold on screen - an extreme representation of power bringing corruption; the divide between social classes; and the atrocities people with power can get away with, still to this day.
It is meant to be shocking and extreme, and it is a strong and powerful film that stays with you, unable to forget what you have witnessed. You fully understand why it was (and still is) banned, yet you can’t help but appreciate its artistic merit.
Pasolini was a visionary and a bold, daring one at that. It is only fitting for a man whose whole life was surrounded by controversy that his final piece of work be his most notorious.
Art-house cinema in its truest form - and an art-house masterpiece. However, for all its brilliance, its sadistic nature makes it a one-time only viewing experience. JDU
Film: The Phantom Of Liberty
Running time: 99 mins
Director: Luis Buñuel
Starring: Adriana Asti, Julien Bertheau, Jean-Claude Brialy, Adolfo Celi, Paul Frankeur
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Country: Italy/France
Region 1 release.
In this, the penultimate film of Spanish filmmaker Luis Bunuel, character encounters are dictated by chance, absurdist situations occur everywhere and social norms are under scrutiny. Cited by many to be Bunuel’s finest work, it is certainly his angriest, as he gets several thoughts off his chest in this satirical and surreal effort.
The film begins in Toledo, Spain during the Napoleonic wars, as a group of captured locals protest against their attackers with the cry, “Down with liberty.” However, the plot soon jumps to present day France, where a number of sketch length scenes are shown displaying the lives of several disparate characters. Each scene is connected with a tenuous coincidence, as established characters hand over to new characters (before they repeat the same pattern).
Amongst this chaos, monks play poker, policemen act like naughty schoolchildren in lectures, doctors avoid their patient’s problems with pleasantries, and the French army takes one of its tanks out fox hunting.
The film eventually rounds off with a similar scenario to the beginning, as a group of protesters get into a spectacular (and unseen) battle with the police in a zoo, whilst screaming, “Down with liberty!”
Many of the scenes in Phantom are based on moments from Bunuel’s life. For instance, a line during one scene that sees a group of monks playing poker in a hotel with a fellow guest, claims: "If everyone prayed everyday to Saint Joseph, peace and quiet would prevail,” and was lifted directly from a conversation Bunuel had had when visiting a monastery. Another self reflexive moment comes when the briefly seen character Mr Legendre visits his doctor to get results of a cancer test but is constantly hampered by the doctor’s refusal to get to the bottom of what’s wrong with him. Instead, the ineffectual doctor avoids the matter to the point that Legendre slaps him round the face in frustration. This too was based on Bunuel’s own experience - of being diagnosed with cancer.
As a result of this frustration with his own life, there is also the feeling that Bunuel was becoming quite the cynic in his later years, and this shows in the movie. Many scenes deal with the absurdity of the mundane, as well as the ineffectual nature of the bourgeoisie. A good example of this is observed when Mr Legendre’s daughter is reported ‘missing’ by her teacher, despite being in plain sight in the classroom, and openly announcing that she is present. Despite this, the police waste time and energy on finding her.
There is a sense that even the simplest of social norms are under the microscope during the film. A notable moment is seen during a dinner party, where the guests all sit on toilets around a table, discussing defecation, before some excuse themselves to eat a meal in a private cubical. It’s often like he’s observing modern civilisation with an anthropologist-style gaze, noting with amusement what would happen if common conventions were turned on their head.
The structure of this film is probably the biggest challenge in viewing as there is no real plot to speak of. The film operates more like a collection of comedy sketches linked by vague events. Resultantly any continuity is relatively hard to locate, as the plot continually shifts when characters meet or are united by random chance - only to hand over to a new plot and disappear never to be seen again. This can make the film quite frustrating to watch, because by the time any involvement with a character has been invested, they are gone, and a new plot thread has begun.
Bunuel is also not afraid of delving into murkier territory. During the run time, he tackles issues such as incest, police brutality, necrophilia and paedophilia. In the case of the paedophilia, this involves a stranger approaching a child and giving her a picture book, only for her parents to find that they contain innocuous but ‘obscene’ images of famous French architecture. Some of these more risqué moments, make for uncomfortable or ambivalent viewing, as they are presented in such a light-hearted and absurdist manner.
For many, The Phantom Of Liberty will be unwatchable as there is no linier plot - the viewer is forced to jump between fleeting protagonists. Whilst Bunuel raises some interesting questions about society and religion, it is not an easy film to view. However, there are some humorous moments, and it is endearingly eccentric, which may save it in some people’s eyes. DJ
Film: Revolver
Running time: 111 mins
Director: Sergio Sollima
Starring: Oliver Reed, Fabio Testi, Paola Pitagora, Agostina Belli, Frédéric de Pasquale
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Country: Italy/France/West Germany
Region 1 release.
A labyrinth of gritty intrigue, Sergio Sollima’s Euro crime opus Revolver is an often beguiling synergy of tough-guy tropes. Italian genre star Fabio Testi is paired with British icon Oliver Reed in this pessimistic ‘70s thriller which imbues the form with a characteristically Italian élan. Loyalties are tested and torn out on the mean streets, where the last and loudest word is a silenced bullet – but will our heroes live long enough to find out why?
An elegiac prologue sees thief Milo (Italian hunk Testi) tenderly burying his mortally wounded accomplice, as Ennio Morricone’s lugubrious title theme heralds the dawn. Anticipation of a doomed underworld bromance is punctured by the next scene, however, which ditches sentiment for calculating brutality. A politician is brutally slain in a choreographed daylight hit; a genre shift that dumps us on the shadowy, blood-stained boulevards of the political thriller. The last part of this head-scratching triptych unfolds when Oliver Reed’s bad-ass prison governor, Vito, returns home to find his wife missing – and a mysterious voice on the end of the phone demanding the release of Milo (now ensconced in Vito’s gaol) – or else.
Reluctantly going rogue, cop springs criminal, intent on apprehending the blackmailers. But events spiral out of control in a way neither man could have foreseen – and they must forge an uneasy alliance to untangle a murderous conspiracy which threatens to devour them both . . .
An oblique and unusual entry in the early-70s Italian poliziotteschi (crime thriller) cycle, Revolver (1973) is an intriguing melange of classic crime motifs, enlivened by some good ol’ fashioned buddy/baddy bonding, and a malign helter-skelter of plot twists. Whilst it lacks the relentless action and explosive denouement many fans may demand, this stylish, thoughtful work crafts empathetic characters and culminates in a resonant payoff far more effective than the dispatch Godfather: roll credits approach typified by much of the competition. And! It also includes a cameo role by an Italian pop icon wielding surely the most outrageously virile moniker in cop movie history: Daniel Beretta!
Oliver Reed’s alternately anguished/brutal performance here recalls a similar role in the superb and little heralded British thriller Sitting Target. A bullish, imposing physical presence and quasi-fascistic approach to law enforcement (and his frequent threats to “rip your f**kin’ guts out!”) are tempered by moments of pained introversion and – in a harrowing climax – moral turbulence, as Ollie’s true creed is revealed. There’s certainly a lot more going on here than a gratuitous Dirty Harry facsimile, though Reed’s interrogation techniques seem to frequently result in his charges “falling down the stairs.” Sollima competently moulds (or should that be restrains?) this exuberant lead performance, pulling off a dexterous balancing act which ensures the relationship between his two stars remains at the core of the movie – even when the complexities of the plot become near baffling.
Sollima’s rich script explores reversals of status between his leads, a classic theme which bears similarities to his earlier spaghetti westerns, which use mis-matched doubles to explore the complexities of human ‘nature’. In The Big Gundown and Face To Face, the anticipated moral polarities of ‘hero’ and ‘villain’ are undermined. Here, the criminal gains tragic nobility, whilst our hero is ultimately rendered impotent through chilling pragmatism. Reed is even lobbed into jail at one point; his raving accusations blithely dismissed by the authorities. At the outset of the film, Reed coldly subdues a ‘crazy’ inmate, and it’s a frighteningly effective parallel – ‘sanity’ is clearly arbitrated by those in power. And who’s to watch those watchmen?
Us. But are you going to stand up and be counted? Revolver scathingly depicts murder as a tool of authority, a bureaucratic adjustment: a blameless act of self-defence. As a cog in the almighty System, it’s this profound realisation – the crumbling edifice he’s shoring up is a murderous sham – that gives Vito’s character another degree of pathos, as his hubristic righteousness implodes. It’s where he ultimately stands – in what is revealed as practically a neo-fascist state – that precipitates the ultimate moral dilemma of the film, and also provides an unexpectedly sombre slant to proceedings
Morricone’s sumptuous score also deserves plaudits. Married to image, it proves irresistibly moving. The mournful central theme potently amplifies the downbeat mood, and other incidentals deftly shift in tone and style to counterpoint action and intrigue. Where necessary, the sonic aesthetics get innovatively down and dirty, unleashing discordant, oscillating eddies of music concrete and lacerating riffs of fuzz guitar. Revolver offers excellent examples of the composer’s dynamic scoring of (to paraphrase the title of a fine compilation) crime with dissonance.
The film does include a few forgivable inconsistencies, however. Reed’s peculiar dub is perhaps the most glaring. Voicing the role with an American accent that seems dramatically inexplicable: this seems motivated purely by commercial considerations. Another glaring incongruity is the actual weapon brandished by Vito throughout the movie. A stylish silhouette of this is prominent in the trailer, and it’s, well, a magazine loaded piece: certainly not the firearm one might expect, given context. What gives? Did someone consider ‘pistol’ to be a less enticingly exploitative title? Well, this relates to a key line of dialogue in the film; one which candidly underlines its savage expose of realpolitik: “Society has many ways of protecting itself. Red tape…prison bars…and the revolver.”
Low expectations of cops, robbers and a de rigeur chase scene with Fiats were rewardingly surpassed by this spaghetti flavoured shoot ‘em up. In its good ol’ fashioned emphasis on human drama, coupled with bracingly gloomy cynicism, Revolver is an ambitious and gripping film that ultimately transcends the clichés of its genre. If you enjoy stylish, intriguing fare such as The Conformist and Investigation Of A Citizen Under Suspicion, but prefer a little more pulp in your fiction, you’ll dig this! DJO
Emma and Antonio, married with two children, have been separated for about a year. Antonio now lives alone in the house where they had previously lived together. Emma has gone with the children to live with her mother. Then, one night like any other, the police are called to the apartment block and are getting ready to break down the door of the flat where someone says they heard shots.
In a fast-moving chain of events, A Perfect Day recounts the 24 hours leading up to this moment, as we follow the every move of a group of characters leading their simple and yet ‘unique’ lives: Camilla’s 7th birthday, her brother Aris sitting for an exam at university, Emma losing her job in a call centre, her daughter Valentina meeting a boy she likes, the MP Elio Fioravanti on the election campaign trail, his beautiful wife Maja discovering she is pregnant, young Kevin being invited to a sumptuous party, Mara the teacher getting ready to meet her lover, and Antonio seeing his wife for the last time. Their stories intertwine on the great stage of a frenetic and disturbing Rome, their simple gestures and words change the course of fate and lead them towards tragedy.
On this perfect day, Emma, Antonio, Elio, Maja, Aris and Mara challenge the cards which they have been dealt, and try to regain control of their lives. Even if it means performing an unspeakable act of betrayal against those they love the most.
Film: A Perfect Day
Release date: 4th October 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 101 mins
Director: Ferzan Ozpetek
Starring: Valerio Mastandrea, Isabella Ferrari, Monica Guerritore, Nicole Grimaudo, Valerio Binasco
Genre: Drama
Studio: Vita
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
Law student Giorgio is a fine young man, with nice friends and good parents who give him everything he needs. But why for some is that never enough?
One night at a party he befriends a mysterious guest, Francesco. Francesco is cool, handsome and trouble. He invites Giorgio to join him for a poker game, and Giorgio, looking for a bit of kick in his life, goes along, and to his amazement wins. But it was inevitable - Francesco, a cardsharp, is in control.
They start entering big games with high rollers and lowlifes, playing for big money and getting away with it every time, taking bigger risks, until they finally enter the big league - drugs.
Frighteningly in thrall to Francesco, a trip to Barcelona to buy cocaine to sell takes Giorgio over an invisible internal line. No longer a fine boy. No longer a dutiful son. No longer hanging out with nice friends. The extent of Francesco’s influence is brutally revealed putting at risk Giorgio’s future, security and freedom.
The Past Is A Foreign Land is the slacker movie updated for the generation who want luxury without working for it, thrills without consequences, and responsibility for no-one except themselves. It’s a cautionary tale of how the weak are consumed by the strong, seduced by the aura of danger and left for dead in the endgame. Only the very lucky find their good side again.
Film: The Past Is A Foreign Land
Release date: 4th October 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 127 mins
Director: Daniele Vicari
Starring: Elio Germano, Michele Riondino, Chiara Caselli, Valentina Lodovini, Marco Baliani
Genre: Crime/Drama/Thriller
Studio: Vita
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
Film: Casanova ‘70
Release date: 6th September 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 111 mins
Director: Mario Monicelli
Starring: Marcello Mastroianni, Virna Lisi, Marisa Mell, Michèle Mercier, Enrico Maria Salerno
Genre: Comedy/Drama
Studio: Mr Bongo
Format: DVD
Country: Italy/France
Mario Monicelli’s 1965 comedy Casanova ’70 is very much a product of its time, starring Marcello Mastroianni as a suave ladies man hot on the heels of roles in Fellini classics La Dolce Vita and 8 ½. Despite its frothy ‘60s comedic stylings, the film (attributed to six writers) was nominated for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 1966, highlighting the clever wordplay between characters.
As the smooth talking and globetrotting NATO Officer Andrea Rossi-Colombotti, Marcello Mastroianni has a way with the ladies that rivals even Ian Fleming’s James Bond 007. With a high-ranking job taking him to glamorous locations (including France, Switzerland and Italy), Andrea catches the eye of a number of beautiful women, including his original first-love Gigliola (Virna Lisi).
However, Andrea has a significant problem; he can only seduce women in dangerous circumstances, and is addicted to risk. This leads to a procession of hijinks and comedic mishaps as Andrea stumbles from one beautiful woman to the next, constantly enticed by danger in order to fuel his libido.
As the element of danger increases from woman to woman, Andrea eventually finds himself wrongly accused of killing off the wealthy husband of one of his lovers in a court of law. Consequently, he faces trial by judge, with his demented psychiatrist, and all of his (almost) conquests appearing as witnesses, detailing his obsession with sex and jeopardy…
From a modern viewpoint, Casanova ’70 does appear somewhat antiquated with its ‘60s sensibilities and washed out style. The idea of a risqué sex comedy in this style seemed very prevalent at the time of the uninhibited swinging ‘60s, and familiar to British audiences in films such as the Carry On... series. Yet Casanova ’70 does feel somewhat different, and perhaps edgier with its subject matter, with the central character in Andrea appearing as an early parody of James Bond-esque conquests and well-travelled thrill-seeking (even before Peter Sellers in the 1966 version of Casino Royale).
The film relies heavily on the performance of Mastroianni, who charmingly mixes suave sophistication in his initial pursuit of attractive ladies with the inevitable slapstick pratfalls he takes in an attempt to instigate danger for himself. Mastroianni somehow maintains the charm of NATO Officer Andrea, where otherwise a character who is effectively a compulsive liar able to leave one beautiful woman in pursuit of another on a whim might be viewed much more unsympathetically. For instance, when Andrea travels to the Swiss Alps following his psychologist’s diagnosis of “the devil inside him” in an attempt to change, he once again falls in love. This time, however, he proposes marriage, and promises commitment. Yet before long, on a date with his bride-to-be at a circus, Andrea is enticed to answer a female lion-tamer’s challenge for any man brave enough to kiss her in a lion’s cage. Of course, Andrea kisses the woman a little too passionately in front of the circus audience, where his Swiss engagement is effectively ended leaving him to make a swift getaway from the country.
There are numerous sequences in the film that all ultimately end in this way, with Andrea seemingly stumbling from one set piece into the next. Thus, while the character remains rather endearing through the natural charisma of Mastroianni, Andrea is unquestionably shallow and two-dimensional in his motivations. The only signifier perhaps of any depth to Andrea beyond his ‘condition’ is in his respect for the true love he shared in his youth with Gigliola, where Andrea cannot bear to seduce a woman he truly cares for, so instead leaves to spend the night with a woman who is said to bring bad luck to all men who have a liaison with her.
The film is well staged and directed by Mario Monicelli, despite the fact that the cinematography is showing its age on DVD. One stand-out scene involves a multiple car chase of Andrea from a group of men angry at his method of duping them into allowing him to seduce a local Sicilian girl in their family, where Andrea’s car is unexpectedly nudged off a cliff only for the NATO Officer to miraculously escape. Also worthy of note is the extended cameo performance of Enrico Maria Salerno as Andrea’s psychiatrist, who increasingly reveals his own eccentricities after spending so long with the mentally unstable. For instance, in an exchange which sums up the humour of Casanova ’70, the psychiatrist reveals a predilection for women’s stockings. Andrea agrees that he too likes a woman in stockings; only for the psychiatrist to reveal that he means he has a predilection for them because he likes to wear them himself.
Casanova ’70 features a fine central comedic performance by Marcello Mastroianni, bringing a somewhat two-dimensional James Bond-esque role to life with a curious mixture of suave cool and charming slapstick panache. Monicelli’s Italian language film is most definitely a product of its era, and somewhat repetitive in parts, although with an added comedic edge that makes it worth a watch. DB
This is an English-language release.
“Having already wowed horror fans with superlative releases of Day Of The Dead, Martin and City Of The Living Dead earlier this year, Arrow Video continues its commitment to presenting the ultimate, must-have editions of horror cinema’s greatest cult classics on DVD and Blu-ray with its forthcoming 30th Anniversary release of Dario Argento’s Inferno.”
Never before available on DVD or Blu-ray in the UK, this 30th Anniversary Edition features a brand new, restored, uncut version of the film, and comes complete with a host of unique and exclusive extras, many of which were specially commissioned for this release. Also included are four sleeve art options, a double-sided poster, an exclusive collector’s booklet written by Alan Jones (author of ‘Profondo Argento’) and six original poster art postcards.
Described by Argento as “a fairy tale designed for adults”, the second instalment of his ‘Three Mothers’ trilogy (and the follow up to his smash hit, Suspiria), Inferno was listed as one of the 50 Greatest Horror Movies Of All Time by Total Film.
The film’s surreal plot concerns a young poetess, Rose Elliot (Irene Miracle), whose research into the history of her New York apartment building and its possible connection to the legendary witches known as ‘The Three Mothers’ results in a series of bizarre murders, and a supernatural mystery of horrific proportions.
Disturbed by a frantic phone call from Rose, her brother Mark (Leigh McCloskey) immediately flies home to New York from his studies in Rome only to find Rose’s apartment empty and very few clues as to her whereabouts. As he investigates his sister’s disappearance, Mark unwittingly moves closer and closer to a terrifying encounter with an ancient, powerful evil.
“Starring Irene Miracle (Puppetmaster; Midnight Express), Daria Nicolodi (Phenomena; Tenebre), Leigh McCloskey (Dallas) and Ania Pieroni (Tenebre; The House By The Cemetery), boasting a truly bombastic score by Keith Emerson (of Emerson, Lake And Palmer fame) and featuring some of the most unforgettable images from any of Argento’s works, Inferno is a must-see for horror fans and an essential companion piece to Suspiria.”
Film: Inferno
Release date: 13th September 2010
Certificate: 18
Running time: 102 mins
Director: Dario Argento
Starring: Irene Miracle, Daria Nicolodi, Leigh McCloskey, Ania Pieroni
Genre: Mystery/Horror
Studio: Arrow
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
DVD Special Features:
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Introduction by star Daria Nicolodi
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Dario’s Inferno featurette
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Acting In Hot Water – an interview with Daria Nicolodi
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The Other Mother: Making The Black Cat – director Luigi Cozzi discusses his rarely seen, totally unofficial 1989 ‘sequel’ to Inferno
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X Marks The Spot – Argento Remembers Bava (Easter Egg) - Dario Argento and Lamberto Bava discuss Inferno
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Dario Argento: An Eye For Horror – documentary on Argento’s career narrated by Mark Kermode, and including interviews with George A. Romero, John Carpenter and others
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The complete Dario Argento trailer gallery
Additional Blu-ray Special Features:
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Q&A with star Irene Miracle, composer Keith Emerson and author Tim Lucas filmed at LA’s New Beverly Cinema in 2009
There is a secret in the life of Mussolini: a wife and a son, Benito Albino, who was born, acknowledged and then denied. The secret bears a name: Ida Dalser. It is a dark page in history, one ignored in the official biography of the Duce.
When Ida meets Mussolini in Milan, he is the editor of 'Avanti!', and an ardent socialist who intends to guide the masses towards an anti-clerical, anti-monarchical, socially emancipated future. Ida already had a fleeting encounter with him in Trento and remained thunderstruck. Ida truly believes in him and his ideas. In order to finance 'Il Popolo d’Italia', a newspaper he has founded and the nucleus of the forthcoming Fascist Party, Ida sells everything she has.
When the First World War erupts, Benito Mussolini enrols in the army and disappears. When Ida finds him again in a military hospital, he is tended to by Rachele whom he has just married. Ida lashes out at her rival furiously, demanding her rights as Mussolini’s true wife and the mother of his first-born son. She is led away by force.
For more than eleven years, she is locked away in an insane asylum (and her son in an institute) where she is put under physical restraint and tortured, never to see her son again. But Ida will not give up without a fight...
Film: Vincere
Release date: 13th September 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 119 mins
Director: Marco Bellocchio
Starring: Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Filippo Timi, Corrado Invernizzi, Fausto Russo Alesi, Michela Cescon
Genre: Biography/Drama/History
Studio: Artificial Eye
Format: DVD & Blu-ray
Country: Italy
DVD Special Features:
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Interview with actor Filippo Timi
•
Theatrical trailer
Film: Fellini's Casanova
Release date: 1st May 2010
Certificate: 15
Running time: 148 mins
Director: Federico Fellini
Starring: Donald Sutherland, Tina Aumont, Cicely Browne
Genre: Drama/Fantasy/Biography
Studio: Mr Bongo
Format: DVD
Country: Italy
Frederico Fellini’s biopic of the infamous womanising Venetian author is a little unusual to say the least. In Fellini’s favourite of his own films, we follow Giacomo Casanova (Donald Sutherland) throughout his life, witnessing his various loveless sexual exploits as he travels across 18th century Europe. Boasting striking visuals and heavy symbolism, it won’t be to everyone’s taste.
The film opens in Venice, where the annual carnival is taking place. After witnessing the festivities, Giacomo Casanova begins his run of sexual adventures. First, in Venice, he puts on a sexual performance with an actress dressed as a nun for the voyeuristic pleasure of a rich noble. Then, after a brief imprisonment for supposedly practicing the dark arts, he escapes to Paris, where he conducts an insane ritual designed to transform an elderly aristocratic woman’s soul into that of a young man’s (predictably, using sex, with the addition of a candle headdress!). Later, after apparently losing his sexual potency (after inevitably catching a venereal disease), he travels to London, where he is fascinated by a giantess, and gets a kick out of watching her being bathed by two dwarves.
Over his life, his sexual encounters become less and less fulfilling, to the extent that in Dresden, a woman rejects his advances and he instead participates in a bizarre orgy with a hunchback and two heavyset women. He lives his final days sad, ridiculed and alone as a librarian at a count’s residence in Bohemia…
The visuals are striking, if a little unusual. Each city Casanova visits is represented in a very theatrical way, by a minimalist set (the ocean is represented by billowing bin liners in one scene, for instance, whilst London is shown as a single cobbled street shrouded in fog).
The costume design is also very impressive, deservedly winning an Academy Award. Each of Casanova’s outfits is extravagant to the extreme. They become less over-the-top throughout the course of the film (in early scenes and flashback sequences, he appears as a strutting and garish peacock, but he gradually becomes more subdued and dapper as he spirals into old age and depression).
Everything about the character of Casanova is designed to make him grotesque – from the horrific hair and makeup (including rolled and bunched hair, and a shaved crown to make the hairline more severe) to his sickening expressions during intercourse and, of course, the very fact that it’s Donald Sutherland playing him (not exactly the most conventionally attractive man). He’s portrayed as largely emotionless – an automaton seeking sexual gratification while avoiding attachment. At no time do we feel anything for his younger self; on the contrary, he is quite repulsive. Only in the final act to we feel any empathy (or is it pity?) for him, when he’s being mocked.
The whole film represents a man’s need to gratify his desires and his inability to connect on any emotional level. No matter where Casanova travels, no matter what he goes through, he will never find happiness, he will never find love. Easily the most poignant scene is a fantastical moment where Casanova falls for a doll-like woman, and, after seducing her, continues to dream of her for the rest of his life. She is, in reality, his ideal woman – she will never resist his advances, and never require him to engage with her on anything more than a physical level. In this moment, the true sadness of Casanova’s character is revealed: he is utterly unable to love a real woman, and has to make do with a mannequin.
Some scenes may appear a little laughable to some, as the acting and characterisation is, at times, very exaggerated. This is still in keeping with the dreamlike, theatrical feel of the film, but it may annoy some viewers.
It’s not the symbolism, exaggeration and flights of fantasy that irritate the most, however. What really grates is the clumsy Italian dubbing of Donald Sutherland on this particular DVD, which distracts to the point of having a detrimental effect on the story!
Despite the heavy-handed dubbing of Sutherland, and the love-it-or-hate-it theatrical visuals and acting, Fellini’s Casanova effectively tells the story (impressive considering the lack of real plot points) of Italy’s most famous libertine. The film’s unusual visuals are effectively simple, and though the film begins emotionally shallow, it becomes quite poignant by the conclusion. SSP
