martino-sanzovo Reviews

Youth (I) (2015)

The future by Sorrentino

[7/10 · 21 September 2015]

Not an easy task for Paolo Sorrentino to come back 2 years after "La Grande Bellezza" worldwide success. True, we shall not be comparing the two movies but unfortunately this is an easy trap to fall in. Straight to the point: "La Giovinezza" is a good movie but not fully convincing. Sorrentino and Bigazzi's cinematography does not convince (Rome's natural set design is not there this time to "simplify" the job), the different supporting characters are not always functional to the story (the extremely annoying group of young screenwriters, for instance), the soundtrack is not effective as the Italian director accustomed us. On the other hand, in every scene we have Sorrentino's signature behind it (the movement of camera, the cinematic creations, etc.) and this is pure pleasure for his fans. Michale Caine offers an outstanding performance (the music director Fred Ballinger,a role that deserves an award) which alone is worth the price of the ticket. Brilliant is Maradona's alter ego and a strong performance is delivered by Rachel Weisz (Ballinger's daughter). But the relationship between the old friends Michale Caine and Harvey Keitel stands above all: a relationship so beautifully depicted which provokes a strong emotion in the viewer (emotion…remember about this word) So what is the movie about? Like for every Sorrentino's movie, interpretations are multiple. "Youth" mainly talks about the future and how we look at the future; and it does it from the heart yet without falling into sentimentalism. A couple of hours at the movie theater for Sorrentino's works are always well invested time; just beware of few drawbacks here and there.

A Pigeon Sat on a Branch Reflecting on Existence (2014)

Roy the pigeon

[8/10 · 22 April 2015]

Roy Andersson sits on a branch and looks at us: this is how we can summarize the film in one sentence. The movie is amusing, a sublime collection of "paintings" where the director cleverly moves from common situations (a mother enjoying his baby in a park) to the most absurd ones (King Charles XII having a mineral water in a bar before a battle). The viewer shall not struggle to find a standard, linear plot but, through putting together, one by one, all these paintings, she/he will have a reliable picture of human beings. Death, friendship, money, exploitation of people and animals: you find them all in Andersson's pigeon. Characters are mainly old, corpulent, pale, slow-moving but depicted in magnificent way and extremely real. The two salespeople involved in the entertainment business stand out: seeking debtors while not being themselves able to fulfill their obligations, they eventually realize that their friendship is the thing that really matters. Songs also play an important role in the movie (Lilla vackra Anna, above all) and they will stick in audience's head for a while after the viewing. At the end of his trilogy on human being, we can in fact say that the director has a positive message for us: Wednesday will come again and Roy Andersson is happy to see that we are doing fine.

Timbuktu (2014)

Timbuktu's portrait in the desert

[7/10 · 12 April 2015]

Abdelkerim sees a bush of green grass in the middle of the desert, stops the car, takes his rifle and shoots at it. This is one of the most powerful moments of the movie. There must be desert in Timbuktu: no room for cultural activities, for entertainment, for socialization, for making your own decision, for green grass. There are no differences in Timbuktu: wooden sculpture can be destroyed in the same way as humans can be killed in the sand. It is difficult to keep your equilibrium while walking in this thick sand: it is difficult for local people and for animals but also for the jihadists (emblematic the fact that Abdelkerim smokes and everybody knows about it). Sissako enlightens us with his direct film, through use of shallow focuses and a balance between close ups (an extreme one on the dying cow) and long shots (an amazing one on the river at the end of the struggle between the shepherd and the fisherman). The scene of the football match with an invisible ball (any reference to Antonioni's Blowup?) is also very powerful. Can we anyway escape the crude reality with illusion? Timbuktu is certainly a movie that will raise questions in your head once you leave the movie theater.

Modern Times (1936)

Current times

[9/10 · 6 April 2015]

The mechanized and standardized world made of levers, bolts, department stores and lifts is too difficult, or probably too ordinary, for the "honest and trustworthy" Charlie Chaplin, who always ends up trapped in his times. But did this world really change a lot when nowadays we walk to the subway (or we drive in crowded streets) like cattle in order to reach our working place? In fact, what Charlie Chaplin and the beautiful Paulette Goddard (a close up of her face after The Little Tramp is arrested for the theft of a loaf of bread is magnificent) really wants from modern times is a small, decent house where to have dinner together, an apple to grab by stretching your arm outside the window and fresh milk from a cow. Charlie Chaplin doesn't need to speak on the screen (while talking pictures were already widely produced since late 20's) to deliver his brilliant view on 1936's world; and even when he does talk during the floor show towards the end of the movie, we don't need to understand what it is said to appreciate once more his talent and genius. There are two moments that stand out during the movie: the feeding machine that feeds The Little Tramp on the assembly line in the first part of Modern Times (note also some similarities later when the mechanic assistant feeds his boss). And the splendid final scene when before fading out, The Little Tramp invites The Gamin to smile while walking on an empty street at dawn; a scene that alone is worth a full movie, a smile that becomes the essence of the use of trying. This last moment is full of hope and full of humanity; things that we still struggle for in our modern times.

Citizen Kane (1941)

The missing piece

[10/10 · 5 April 2015]

Who is Charles Foster Kane? Is he a Communist? A Fascist? An American? The "No Trespassing" sign that we see at the beginning of the movie tries to warn us. Yes, throughout the movie we will get different narrations which describe Mr. Kane; but will we go over the fence and will we really understand who Mr. Kane is? The unseen reporter (Mr.Thompson, shot in darkness) seeks the last great news: Rosebud! Is Rosebud the missing piece? Will it explain everything? Mr. Kane, the great man, by pronouncing this word just before dying returns to his childhood, the childhood stolen by a banker. Charles Foster Kane comes back to a piece of wood that meant the only real moments of happiness in his life. "If the headline is big enough, it makes the news big enough" tells us Welles/Kane; and the news is big but the unseen reporter cannot solve the riddle. At the end of the movie the missing piece of the jigsaw puzzle seems to be Mr. Kane himself; we get his story from several (unreliable) narrators but we don't feel to have trespass the Kane's barrier. Orson Welles (director, producer and main actor) delivers a masterpiece through an extensive use of dissolves, deep focuses and flashbacks. Music and sounds give rhythm to the film and Welles' outstanding acting completes the picture (by the way, Di Caprio's best performances certainly took a lot from Mr. Kane). Citizen Kane remains up-to-date after more than 70 years and will be immortal; it is strongly recommend watching it more than once to appreciate all the techniques used by Orson Welles and cinematographer Gregg Toland.