Reviews

We thought that the star of director Ridley Scott was going to disappear thanks to unsuccessful movies like the good "Albatross" or the really weird "G. I. Jane", but fortunately he is came back with a success like "Gladiator" and a promising title like "Hannibal". Even if doesn't absolutely respect history, this movie is a beautiful work and a great wonder for our eyes. Scott directs the battle with great ability, helped by the editing of the great Italian Pietro Scalia (Academy Award winner for "JFK"): the initial battle in the woods is frenetic and impressive with the force of a thunder and the fights in the arenas are exceptional, a demonstration of what the evolution in movies can do. And also the cast, which sometimes is sacrificed for the show, shows a very great power: Russell Crowe is a suffering but determined Maximus, Joaquin Phoenix an evil, weak and complex Commodus, Connie Nielsen is so beautiful than good actress and then there is a great english trio formed by Richard Harris, Derek Jacobi and Oliver Reed (dead during the shots). Giorgio Cantarini (Benigni's son in "La Vita è Bella") plays the brief role of Maximus' son. We mustn't also forget the red photography by John Mathieson, the rich art direction of Arthur Max (a name, a program) and the wonderful themes composed by Hans Zimmer, featuring the splendid vocals of Lisa Gerrard. Wonderful!

"Star Wars" is really a Movie. It's impossible to hate this story of adventure and myth in a galaxy far far away... George Lucas sends us in a world of strange aliens, funny robots and Jedi knights since the beginning helped by the famous and beautiful theme by John Williams. The story of Luke Skywalker, son of the fallen Jedi Anakin, which has to rescue Princess Leia Organa (chief of the rebels) from the evil Empire of Grand Moff Tarkin and Darth Vader is famous around the world. The special effects are fantastic (thanks to John Dykstra, John Stears and all the others...) and the cast is wonderful. The good idea has been the one to choose the cast. the three principal roles are assigned to three unknown actors (in 1977 Harrison Ford wasn't still Harrison Ford) and to place two great stars of English cinema as supporting actors: Peter Cushing is exceptional as the evil Tarkin (he played the movie with slippers at his feet, because the boots were little) and Alec Guinness gives to Obi Wan Kenobi a mythic air. Dennis Lawson (Wedge Antilles) is the uncle of Ewan McGregor. this is a movie which will remain forever.

Norman and Claire Spencer are a normal rich couple who live in a beautiful house near a beautiful lake in Vermont. One day, after the leaving of their daughter Caitlin for the university, Claire begins to suspect that something strange is happening in the house of their neighbors. She suspects that Mr. Feur had killed his wife and her fears become worst when something like a ghost begins to terrify her in the house. There are a lot of surprises in this movie (but the most astonishing in a "important for the story of cinema" way mustn't be told) first of all the passage of Robert Zemeckis from the comedy of "Back To Future" and "Forrest Gump" to the dark atmosphere of this thriller. "What Lies Beneath" mixes a lot of elements of famous thrillers and horrors of the past years: from Alfred Hitchcock takes the voyeurism of "Rear Window", from "Les Diaboliques" by Henri Georges Clouzot takes the basin like place of death and from "The Turn Of The Screw" by Henry James the ghosts and the subtle idea that the female protagonist had some mind problems. Michelle Pfeiffer gives an astonishing performance, one of her best, and Harrison Ford is always good but in a little role. Funny also the paranormal friend of Michelle, played by Diana Scarwid. A very beautiful thriller, which deserves the success it had.

It's impossible to hate "It's A Wonderful Life". Even if you hate all the sweet in the cartoon movies, you can't be of stone in the great end of this movie: it is one of the biggest and sincere moments of happiness in all the story of cinema. It's the zenith of the philosophy of a master of happy life, who was Frank Capra: a story of a good man, George Bailey, who decides to commit suicide, when the family's factory is going to bankrupt. An angel without wings, Clarence, will save him and he will show him the world without the presence of George Bailey, a world of corruption completely in the hands of his enemy Mr. Potter. George Bailey is interpreted by the man with the right face for this role, James Stewart and his wife by the sweet Donna Reed. Lionel Barrymore portrays Potter, a sort of Scrooge without possibility of redemption and Henry Travers is the old, sweet and naive Clarence, desperately seeking wings. Then we mustn't forget the contribute of a great task force of actors like Thomas Mitchell, Beulah Bondi, Sheldon Leonard, H. B. Warner and the up-coming Gloria Grahame. Really the perfect story for Christmas, pure and sweet. Merry Christmas Frank and James wherever you are.

It's incredible to see that the director of this tender story of love for a brother is the same nightmare painter of "Eraserhead" and "Twin Peaks". David Lynch here portrays the true story of Alvin Straight (1920-1996) an old man from Laurens, which went on a lawnmover to the house of his brother Lyle, after 10 years of hate. Alvin is a man who suffered a lot but who has in his eyes the will to go on and to forgive. It's a wonderful story with the beautiful images of Freddie Francis (82 years old director of photography) and the great interpretation of Richard Farnsworth: in his eyes you can see life, with all his problems and happiness. there are beautiful moments like the dialogue with the pregnant girl and the story of the woods like the family and his memories of war. It's a fantastic story about how life would be.

I've seen "The Exorcist" for the first time for this new release and I've been quite frightened. But I have to say that after 30 years this isn't anymore the most terrific movie on earth. I don't want to say that I've been bored because it's still a fantastic opera. The scenes with the devil are very effective and the performances of the actors (especially by the tormented Jason Miller and the newcomer and astonishing good Linda Blair) are very very good. The scenes I liked much more are the beginning in Iraq with Max Von Sydow, who begins to fear that there's something strange, the arrival of the already possessed Regan at the party in her house and the final fight against evil with the sudden and brave decision of Father Karras. William Friedkin does a very good job in directing with a lot of subliminal frames of the devil and also compliments to Rick Baker for the make up, Mike Oldfield for the famous music and Owen Roizman for the livid photography.

"Election" is a very great comedy built on a poisoned and exceptional screenplay (by Payne and Jim Taylor, which was nominee at the Oscar). The story is told by the protagonists of this story which are four: Jim McAllister, idealist and beloved teacher of the Carver High School. Tracy Flick, the favorite student to win the election of the President of the school students, perfect and ambitious. Paul Metzler, the ex quarterback of the school, a naive boy chosen by McAllister to contrast Tracy. Tammy Metzler, lesbian sister of Paul and third sudden candidate. That's because Paul has stolen her the girlfriend. McAllister hates Tracy for his perfection and ambition and wants to prevent the possibility of her victory. For that it will do everything. This is an exceptional comedy, which reflects in itself the atmosphere of war of thousand of other kinds of elections. If the part of the betrayal of Jim to his wife is the less interesting, the study of the war at school, supported by three young actors of sure talent: Reese Witherspoon leaves the pure character of Annette ("Cruel Intentions") for a cruel, ambitious, hateful girl with a smile which remembers the worst Doris Day. Chris Klein seems a young, (and stupid) Frank Capra character and he has the right look for it. Jessica Campbell is a revelation as the revengeful Tammy.

"Forrest Gump" has been a great success in 1994. Beyond the various accuses of being only a tearjeker of success, we have to say that this movie has a lot of good things: the story of the stupid famous has a lot of funny moments (the meeting with Johnson or the saving of Dan in Vietnam), but we don't have to forget that death is always present in the movie: on Tv we see only violence and a lot of characters around Forrest die. "Forrest Gump" is a fable of this century, a very beautiful and moving fable. The actors are great: Tom Hanks gives a very tender performance, made by innocence and surprise, Robin Wright is the lost angel full of sadness, Gary Sinise shows us all the rage and self-destruction of his character and Sally Field is the Mum we all wish to have. Great work behind the scenes with the beautiful score by Alan Silvestri and the great photography of Don Burgess. Special effects are exceptional. Look for the young son of Forrest. he's the new star Haley Joel Osment!

"Fight Club" is a movie born to let people discuss. It can be considered a masterpiece of the modern times (as I did) or a stupid and excessive movie. The story is told us by an anonymous Narrator (symbol of the every man), which is disappointed by his life and find comfort visiting people affected by cancer. Then he meets two dropouts like him: the strange Marla Singer (Helena Bonham carter, dressed like a scarecrow) and the fascinating Tyler Durden, which involves him in an hurricane of violence and anarchy. And the Narrator doesn't know how to stop him and himself. The story begins with a fantastic introduction in the false - golden life of the narrator, affected by insomnia and depression and it is like a shout for freedom in a society trapped by herself in the logic of "making money". Tyler founds an organization called Mayhem to destroy all the false symbols of a life untrue and makes little acts of terrorism, introducing frames of porn movies in movies for children. Brad Pitt and Edward Norton gives two astonishing performances: the first is fantastic in denying his image of sex-symbol for an acting voted to destruction, the second, the normal man willing to revolt to society, is one of the best actors of 2000.

This movie has been for me a very strong experience for a lot of things. First, I left Sofia Coppola as a bad actress in "The Godfather - Part III" and now I find her here as a very good director. Second, the story is told with a great tenderness and ability, like if it was only a fantastic dream. It remembers the atmosphere of "Picnic At Hanging Rock" with these beautiful girls and their tragic destiny. Kirsten Dunst is astonishing in her performance: her beautiful look cuts the screen and her eyes take you apart in another world. She's really one of the best actresses of her age but a good work too is done by the parents: James Woods is a stupid man, completely absorbed by the strength of his wife, played by a Kathleen Turner, never been so cruel. Bit parts for Scott Glenn, Michael Paré and Danny De Vito. Splendid photography by Edward Lachman and good music by the French group Air, which are good fellows of the tragic meeting of these girls with death.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF DAVID TOMLINSON (1917-2000)

When I watched this movie for the first time I was 4 years old and I got fascinated by this story of witches in the 2nd World War. The scene, which impressed me the most, was the fight between the Nazi soldiers and the medieval army. It was exceptional to see this army without a body walk to fight the astonished singing their march. This movie is fantastic, from the trip to Portobello Road (which became to me the most fantastic place of London) to the journey to Naboomboo. Angela Lansbury and David Tomlinson are really a fantastic couple. She is always great, it seems the good aunt of a family and David with his always astonished face is her great co-protagonist. we'll miss him a lot.

"Les rivières pourpres", which means the blood of the perfect children, is a thriller which mixes esotericism, action, a beautiful landscape and the terrible question of eugenics. two policemen, the expert Nièmans and the young and exploding Kerkèrian, are investigating on the mysterious deaths of some members of an university for genius, in which there is the strange use to live and marry together. In the same time, the grave of a girl, dead in 1982, is profaned by some Nazis. Or so it seems... The next movie of the French enfant prodige Mathieu Kassovitz is very good and thrilling movie, with a blood chilling beginning (a long close up on the body of the first victim). Kassovitz can count on a good couple of actors like Reno (one of the best French actors of all time, which deserves his worldwide celebrity) and Cassel (with the right dose of rage) and with the guest starring of two icons of French cinema like Jean Pierre Cassel (father of Vincent) as the ophthalmologist and Dominique Sanda as Sister André.

This movie is a movie with the capital M. Like "Gone With The Wind" places the love of two normal characters into the Story, involving us in one of the great disasters of all time. If the story (beautiful-rich-next-to-marry-rich-b****rd-girl meets young-handsome-pure-and-intelligent-guy)is already known, Cameron shows us how cinema can reconstruct the real world. Years of study on the original projects of the ship, a perfect research from the structure of the ship until the resemblance of the actors with the real persons (Bernard Hill and Victor Garber are the clearest examples), all is made by Cameron to take us on the "Titanic": we taste the beauty of the ship, the elegance of the rich people and the dreams of the poor ones. And then, we sink with the ship and its inhabitants. A perfect movie with a perfect cast and a perfect crew (never forget the James Horner's wonderful score or the fantastic art direction by Peter Lamont). Perfect, nothing else to say.

The greatest thing in "Apt Pupil" is the ambiguity which rules in the movie. There is an old man, which was a cruel Nazi during the war and a young American boy who discovers the truth about his identity. So, it can seem that the Nazi is the evil and the boy is the good but it isn't so. They are both two champions of evil, because the young Todd blackmails the old Dussander and menaces him to tell to the city who he is. if the Nazi wants to keep him silent, he must tell him all the secrets of the tortures of war. They made their diabolic pact and Todd falls in a hell of death and suffering, absorbed and involved by it. Dussander is old, probably he wants to forget what he did and live the rest of his life persecuted in silence by his ghosts. Not Todd. he is animated by a thin hate and curiosity for evil, he thinks to be a sort of super hero, blackmailing the old man, but he is a man worst than him. it's impressive the scene when Dussander walks, dressed like a Nazi and Todd tries but he can't, be cause the man is completely possessed. Brad Renfro and Ian McKellen give two great performances, the first confirms himself as one of the best actors of his age with a killer look and an evil mind, the second is still great, intelligent and magnetic (like his new character in "The X-Men!"). Look at their eyes, they hide in themselves all the cruelty of the world.

We don't know how many times in that period the world risked to live a story like the one of "Dr. Strangelove". A fool general orders to his airplanes to go to launch the Atom Bomb on Russia and while an English captain tries to change his mind, all the military chiefs of USA are reunited to try to solve the problem with the Russian Ambassador and a strange and pro Nazi scientist called Dr. Strangelove. Kubrick puts on a tragic satire on the Cold War, showing us the anti communism and the foolish paranoid of the militaries, especially Buck Turgidson (played by a restless George C. Scott) and Jack D. Ripper (which sounds as Jack The Ripper, the famous English serial killer), which Sterling Hayden plays with great intensity. In his face is impressed all the hate and the rage of a stupid man, who became paranoid. Then, there is the wonderful performance by Peter Sellers, which plays the reasonable Captain Mandrake, the stupid and impotent President Muffey and the terrific Doctor Strangelove, a man on a wheelchair with a hand rebel to the rest of the body and who, at the end of the movie, jumps on with the right hand up revealing his Nazist origin. This movie is very funny and cruel, a reflection against war and human madness, which can only guide world to the ruin and the destruction.

Three hours of length, a lot of stories to follow... at a first look "Magnolia" seems to be a very "strong" movie, probably too much long and boring. But then when it begins with that astonishing introduction, ti takes you in a world full of despair but with a final possibility of hope. The cast does a very great work: the apparently strong Cruise, the suffering Moore and Walters, the good man Reilly but most of all Philip Seymour Hoffman with his sweet Phil and Philip Baker Hall with his Jimmy Gator, a man destroyed by cancer and sorrow. Anderson gives us a very effective portrait of these lives with a strong screenplay and a fantastic soundtrack,. One of the most beautiful movies of the year. To remember the song, sang by all the cast, the tragic confession of Hall and the surprising end.

When you watch the beginning of "The Cider House Rules", you think you have been projected into a Dickens story: orphans, misery, death and hard work and the education of a guy of pure soul. Then, you watch behind the lines and you see how Irving (like Dickens at his time) wants to be provoking: the doctor is pro abortion, which defends his reasons with strength (and when he won the Oscar, Irving dedicated a special thanks to the pro abortion associations). This movie is very moving and involving, with a cast all star (it's nice to see again a great actress of the 70's like Jane Alexander), which features the great Maguire, one of the best actors of his generation, the beauty-but-good-actress Charlize Theron, a great actor like Delroy Lindo and a living legend like Michael Caine, always great, funny and serious. Beautiful photography by Oliver Stapleton and moving score by Rachel Portman. SEE IT!

The words "happiness" and "family" can't meet in every work of Tennessee Williams. Here we find the drama of the Pollitt family, where the father (a perfect Burl Ives) is going to die of cancer. His sons are quarrelling about their inheritance, but if Goopher is weak and Brick is drowning into alcohol, the struggle is guided by their wives: the cheeky Mae and the strong Maggie "The Cat". This movie is very beautiful and it captures with his stories and his hidden dramas (Papa Pollitt doesn't know, he's going to die, Brick suffers for the loss of his closest friend, with which he had probably an homosexual relationship) and it is supported by a great cast. Newman kills his sexuality for a strong performance and Taylor hasn't been so beautiful. Judith Anderson as the mother (how far from the icy Mrs Danvers of "Rebecca"!) and the hateful Madeleine Sherwood complete the cast.

Before "The Thin Red Line", Terrence Malick was considered a genius with only two movies: "Badlands" and this one. "Days of Heaven" is a very beautiful movie, full of poetry, like any other work by Malick. The theme of misery, who pulls men to do anything, even to sell love, is well told with this terrible but wonderful story. The scenes to remember are a lot on this movie, but the highest point is the ceremony in the fields, lyric and with a soul. And in his tragedy is very beautiful also the fire in the corn. Gere, in one of his first movie, makes a very good work, but the best are the sick farmer by Shepard and the good work by Linda Manz, a very great narrator. Great score by Ennio Morricone and great photography (Oscar winner) by Nestor Almendros.

I liked very much this movie. First, because it talks about a true story, told us without excessive emphasis, but with a sense of emotion very strong. Second, because it shows us a group of interesting characters (the fishers are not always the bravest and handsome men on the world, but normal people with problems and their women are strong characters and not only crying). Third, because this movie is an ode to the sea with the speech that George Clooney makes to Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, which is very impressive and tender. Clooney is good as the captain (half wise and half Achab) but a good work is also made by the couple Wahlberg and Lane and two great supporters like John C. Reilly and the breakthrough Rusty Schwimmer. then we have to remember the fantastic score by James Horner, always moving and astonishing. "The Perfect Storm" is a very beautiful movie, which would deserve a good treatment by the Oscars, a poetic and surprising work, which I hope everyone will love.

This movie seems quite unusual in Frank Capra's career, because all his past and future works are always surrounded by a peaceful and happy atmosphere. Here we find two kind old women (Jean Adair and Josephine Hull, great!), who loves to poison the old and alone men, who arrives at their house. They do that for pity but they are two serial killers! Then, they have a nephew, who thinks to be Theodore Roosevelt and another one (Raymond Massey, which is like Boris Karloff, thanks to the make up), who is just escaped from the prison. In all this strange group of people, arrives Mortimer (Cary Grant)with his future bride (Priscilla Lane, nice but not necessary to the story). The humour is exceptional with a lot of great actors (Alexander, Horton, Lorre the others) and it is a funny but not too much valued work by Capra.

The debut as director of Robert De Niro is very successful and I hope that he will do another movie as director in his career. "A Bronx Tale" remembers the lessons of Martin Scorsese and Sergio Leone, talking about the life in the Bronx for italians. De Niro portrays well and without any kind of emphasis Lorenzo, the father of the young Calogero and Chazz Palminteri seems like the son of the "Consigliori" Robert Duvall in "The Godfather": always cool and reflective, he knows to be the boss of the road, but ha can also be affective and good. Two fathers for a boy, Calogero (Good work by Capra & Brancato, two new talents), who grows under their attention and fall in love with a nice (but black and so detested by his group) girl. It is a beautiful story, well acted and well written.

This fresh and ironic comedy is one of the best products of Hollywood in the 60s, because it talks with irony but also seriously of a very important theme: racism. Spencer Tracy well portrays the common man, who discovers how the integration can arrive so close to him. First, he's against the wedding (even if he's very liberal), but with the help of his wife he will understand the reasons of love. Tracy, unfortunately at his last movie, is great as the funny but resolute Matt Drayton and Katharine Hepburn walks on the screen like a queen. Then is right to remember the 3 great supporters of the movie: Cecil Kellaway, the comprehensive Reverend Ryan, Beah Richards as the sweet mother of Sidney Poitier and Isabel Sanford, which is great as the racist Tilly. Funny and quite moving at the end, this is one of the movies of the century.

This time Mel Gibson takes his revenge against England. In "Braveheart" he was tragically killed by the cruel English, he fought for independence. This time, even if he pays a lot for his freedom, arrives at the end of the movie standing triumphantly against the defeated enemy. Surely, "The Patriot" presents some moments quite unbelievable, when Gibson kills the English troop with the help of his 10 years old boys (two children shoot better than professional soldiers?), but it is a good movie. Emmerich knows how to catch the attention of the spectator with fantastic fights, well orchestrated and very impressive. The actors are good, especially the newcomer Ledger, the evil Isaacs and the great Wilkinson. Great photography by Caleb Deschanel (he deserves an Oscar for his work).

After her survival by a terrible serial killer, Helen Hudson lives alone in her house, terrified by the outside. Mary Jane Monahan, a detective, asks her help to catch another serial killer, who copies famous killers of the past. This movie joins "The Silence of the Lambs" with "Rear Window" but it does it very well, with a lot of chills for the spectator. Sigourney Weaver and Holly Hunter give us two fantastic performances (and finally we can see the second in a nice role!) but also Mulroney, McNamara and Patton are three good supporters. Great photography by Laszlo Kovacs and good score by Christopher Young.