Reviews

yes my very very very fav. film on number one with Stalker, Apocalypse Now and Valhalla Rising, seen dozen times,true masterpiece with endless layers first of all the greatest tragedy that can happen, Greek style ,no shrink can help here, and then all the other levels. Von Tier's Magnum Opus. He did it.

Predictable from a to z, that's why i give a 4, it's a hapsnatch precooked predigested story for a very lazy,for USA probably, public. very disappointing, cliché sleeping pill full of stereotypes....bla bla bla. ...even their sexual relationship turning kinky,is so predictable....i hoped for surprises and some depth,but none of that. Bad film.

( PS: I'm a big lover of 'rêal' Cronenberg: The Brood, Dead Ringers, Naked Lunch,Crash, etc, and don't appreciate his latest try-outs at all, specially his Hollywood escapades like this one or the screaming J. Moore. Eastern Promises was okay though.:)

Oh yes, I'm not afraid to go against current here..... Garbage xploition First Class. You thought exploitation was something of the genres in the 70's ( specially Italy) ???? NO. THE WORST exploitation is when it's sold to you without saying it IS SO ( unlike the 70's Italy). Very slick easy-shocking-the-bourgeoisie-method to make dollars and nothing else, this is NOT about the real case ( her family should SUE !!) , nor about a abuse case, nor about why a woman behaves like that ( if u want suicide....you should do it yourself. Or does she want to find a suitable s/m lover ? ? ....Look how lucky.....She actually has ! But no, so , what does this lazy, manic, super-narcissistic, ADHS, loveless, unsympathetic, entirely egoistic woman want ? I think her husband has had a LOT of patience with her ( 15 years ) , really a lot ! We don't know how these 15 years have been for him, nor for her, but I know that you cant stay madly in love with a prson specially if she behaves as loveless and nasty as she does. Why does she hates him ? Because he isn't 'wild'? So, why did she marry him in the first place ? Why does she not insist in therapy nd finally decide to ger better eeh ? Why doesn't she game with him ? Or take a hobby of her own ? Or work ? Or help children? ( am I supposed to cry because she can't have her own baby? Well, I won't . )Live or die , is not only the choice for her, but for ALL of us. We all have to heal and live and love. If we decide that we don't want to live, we take matters in our own hands and not give it to a sadist murder to increase our karma further more.... So, this is a terrible stupid film about a made up character ( I work with victims + cutters, so I can separate sleezy fiction from real cases, be offended by me, but this dangerous and easy piece of garbage has a name: Exploitation ....

Watch out. Or better: don't watch. ( PS: Bello's acting is EASY. People often think it's hard to play a insane over the top , specially if having (s/m) sex....but I know my acting. It's the easiest piece to play, no, she doesn't deserve a price ). ( My vote: 3. Only because they too must eat , LOL )

I so love the book by Jellinek, it's a masterpiece. Fantastic language ( Jellinek varies according to her books, some of it are too experimental for me : when proving that her characters 'are lost in translation 'and will never understand each othr, she de-composes her language into abstraction. But THIS one is written in a very emotional style, exactly the oppposite of what she shows her surrounding ( or in the film ) , then she is rigidly composed/repressed, don't forget this is not about the PIANISTE, but a deadly critique on her country Austria, and why they also censured her lots of times, it's about Austrian society + history ( the most repressed European country, very conservative, alwys been like this, and thus its artists ar the most extreme of Europee....!! always been like this, think of body-exprssionism-performances-with -blood-and -cuts in the 50-70s........ Anyway , the book is TERRIFIC, you are inside her mind, and bellieve me that's a humorous + very intelligent mind, of the PIANISTE, wicked monologue interieurs, and she kicks ass at her 'kiddo'too. The film I gave a 8. ( not my fav Haneke )

Yeah !! Faulkner is still a rare class of his very own, the most important American Great Novelist ( with maybe only Melville ) , still there has been NOBODY else after him in the USA, oh yes I can motivate my passion for him, he's my favorite USA-writer and in my top 3 of international writers, and I always wondered WHY no filmmaker ever tried to translate his 'writing' ( one B-film I remember, and not bad, but too SMALL ) I mean, liberalistic capitalism is INVENTED by the USA, its greatest stories are to be found here and nowhere else but did any artist try?? ? !! I've waited for years for a epic film about the greedy new yuppies of Faulkner's Snopes, but nobody even tried just until after decades of stasis finally comes Anderson and D.D.Lewis magnus opus: YES, my Faulkner finally on the big screen and how great it is , it's not officially about Snopes or based on any Faulkner , but genetically the very same and the only depiction of Snope-mentality we have till now, bravo Anderson, finally a true USA- masterpiece since 30 or 40 years ( since Apocalypse Now ) ! Well then , this Roeg film is the totally overlooked older brother of TWBBlood, same theme, the individual search for gold/money , and he has own Snopes around him : R.Hauer and M.Rourke play it terrificly .

Roeg's greatest masterpiece is my favorite of his films and since years on a steady number 2 of my 'final'list ( with others like A.Rubjlev and Eclisse). I'm actually glad so many people don't care for it or don't ( try to) understand it, so it remains 'totally mine' and I won't make publicity ........See it if you like, or don't......probably you will NOT like it at ALL, it has everything to look like a big piece of small kitsh. Theresa Russel's overplaying ( I so adore this actress ...) and the 'weird murder' ( in reality it was weirder ) and an abbondance of cabbala, voodoo, alchemist symbols ( the butterfly brooche !!)in every corner of the film whether in words,designs, or clothes ,it will make you SCREAM, unless you know some about the alchemy of human soul, and its question "what gold am I looking for?".

Oh ...it's also VERY static, theatrical, slow, very clumsy unrealistic dialogues , you'll feel almost ashamed to watch. Conclusion: AVOID IT.

My Roeg's list : 1: Eureka 2: The Man W F On Earth 3: Walkabout 4: Performance 5: Insignificance + Bad Timing ( Theresa's masterpieece ) 6: Don't Look Now ( very overrated )

I love the old P. Weir films, this and Picnick are my favorites and absolute masterpieces I carry in my heart + have seen many times without loosing fascination. Many have described this story-line , so I won't....Just saying great, great, great film. Good good good good good ( I must fill 5 lines......but words are useless...) good good good.

A tiny jewel by Mazzacurati,I think often back at some scenes or expressions of its actors, all excellent: Battiston plays a very fat Jezus on the Cross, I love this ( comic/melodramatic) actor, one of the finest we have, so humane, his face + body SPEAK. Orlando's always excellent + here hilarious as shallow opportunist niche movie-maker who can't sell his idea LOL ( he doesn't even have one ) so he settles for the direction of a regional , silly Passion-Play in some provincial hole of a village with 'ignorant villagers as actors' and he HATES it . He has right cynicism and is funny ( think of every time he has to use his mobile phone but there's no signal in this rural place ) The actor chosen at first to play Jezus is hilarious too with his theatrical over-acting and loud voice. And I could go on about how funny and sweet this movie is but I guess only for Italians, or even only Northern Italians , it's subtle humor. Mazzacurati was from my city and a pity we lost our only director. We miss you + thank you, Carlo .

I'm perplexed at the loads of negative reviews ( and specially by 'Christians'). I enjoyed the film, and made me read the whole story as written in a Bible I have (edition from 1840.....is this why modern readers say it DIFFERS ? I guess modern/shorter versions are around which simplifly the story leaving out GIANTS and other ancient archetypes ?) Guess what ? It's EXACTLY like the film, including the giants and angels ....I was actually surprised at how literally the director had transcribed it , and I was intrigued by the Bible-story very much. Yes it is almost SF as some say, but not the film, it's just WRITTEN like that. Noah is even more cold then how the actor plays him. And it gives no reason for his all last years of living in total isolation and penitance AFTER they arrive in their new land. Guess what ? Aranofsky took here the only liberty I can see , and did so only to give a psychological reason for the WHY ( Noah sinned of arrogance, since he'd forbidden his children to take their love-interest along , and indeed this is not so loving , he behaved strictly conceptually without compassion as his wife showed him. Anyway, this is the ONLY liberty of the film I encountered. And a good one, because reading the OTestament leaves you wondering indeed "But WHY did he end up living separated from his family in a cave ???"..............The director showed the relation of that cold decision and the penitence he took for it, which is a good move IMO. And the rest ? You'd be surprised how much 'SF' is to be found in an ancient Bible !! Well done, a deserved 8.

It has HUMOR too ! ( the police officer's continuous obsession with the perfect espresso-coffee, which he never gets is absolutely very funny ) And a MARVELOUS impressive H.Berger. Very fast pace. Concentrates on the way the police tries to catch the murderer. Great character development of all participants. Some subtle social comments on family and sexist behavour. Great pace. Lots of action , until the end I was left guessing about who/why. My rate is 10.

I think D.Argento in general, and his PRosso ( likewise The Bird with Cristal Feathers ) is quiet overrated by Giallo-lovers while IMO not so groundbreaking or original compared to some others 70's gialli. These have IMO more excitement,suspense, better locations or acting, and last but not least, better fetisjes, fashion, humor, or psychological insight. Some of the best, like The House With the Laughing Windows, I rated thus 10, and some mediocre examples, like this PRosso, 'only' 7.

He's a dreamer , Italians know. Peter Pan. Sex. Fetisj. So, Americans,pleases, we know that Italy's history is too complicated but believe me, it's only ALLEGORY like Tarantino's Nazi Bitches...Both kids BLOW UP, insert private quirks and fetisjes ( Bertolucci's use of sex with animals, kids, of the 'godfather' is surreal, not what I know about the real farmers,and so I had to laugh...also 'the fascist + cat'.....mamma mia... THAT is NOT a fascist, but a severe psychopath u would encounter ONE in millions regardless of position or politics, even a 'commie'!

This one will be forgotten in ten years. Only nice details IMO are the rural ambient, young Niro + Depardieu at their height of beauty and D. Sanda( I ADORE her) with her white horse Cocaina.

Rest UNWATCHABLE, I fell asleep, which happens only with Tolkien + Harry Potter. So I rate 4.( BTW: Stefania Casini as epileptic sex-buddy Cult 70's actress, now is director/journalist )

..Et voila... maybe one day he destroys it himself LOL ....keep dreaming, dreamers.Beg your pardon? Bernardo, please no DREAMERS-2 ! LOL

I so LOVE this one. It has everything for a romantic feel good with intelligence: Sandrine B, who I adore ( see Un Ceour Simple, her role makes me cry every time), she is SO expressive, every nerve of her face can tickle , tremble, frown, an amazing aura. Will always love her ( just for comparison: J.Binoche is levels lower IMO, she's too manieristic ( and can't make me cry) . Stephane Audran is BTW another fab actress) All other actors are excellent, also the American who teaches her chess and stole her heart and mine too , only in THIS role....and oh......Jennifer Beale has a gorgeous (small) part !!! And yes,I love CHESS, watch all chess films available to me. Then we have the gorgeous countryside views and how the people talk and behave, it's just all these tiny things typical for provincial life in S-Europe, in this case France. SHE SO ROCKS. She bikes a lot, in simple but feminine skirts, over bridges , from one house to another, helping, working, meanwhile her typical FROWN shows that she has only the NEXT MOVE in her mind.....LOL . Watching her makes you feel stronger when you're in a down mood..... FEEL GOOD. I don't watch Pretty Woman. I watch this gorgeous chess lady on her bike................ ;) ;)

My all time favorite film,but in the REDUX VERSION ( WOMAN ZONE EXTRA, and she's AURORE CLEMENT, can it be more beautiful ?? And she smokes the pipe with Martin Sheen...finally a chill moment for him !) Also Coppola's masterpiece, no discussion possible, it's JUST a FACT. (Godfather I ??? Come on guys.....not in a million years. A feel good kid's FABLE. For real classic Cosa Nostra ,check out F.Rosi instead )

Best film ever will give you a excellent mood. Not shocking. Not political correct. Not for USA public ( unless you have anarchic impulses ) Not for those thinking in boxes, labels, explanations and common sense. Not for the humorless.

Patrick Dewaere is the best French actor and still rocks.