fanni Reviews

The Terminal (2004)

Life is Waiting?

[6 October 2004]

The movie takes place in a surrealistic JFK airport where true characters or those who represent America seem puppets (see: the Security Manager) while those who live at the edges seem real. Tom Hanks plays skilfully the man who finds himself in a strange situation which he does not understand, but still finds means to go on, to fill his life, not to get depressed. And he turns out to be generous and capable of true relations with those people working inside the airport and non very integrated, it seems, in the American way of life.

On the opposite those who should represent American values in the sense of respect of freedom, of individuality, of civil human relations turn out to be bureaucrats, not capable to understand basic human situations which need help and understanding (the episode with the man asking for medicines for his dying father).

In this nowadays fairy the parallel world is still capable of sentiments and of true human relations while the baddies are cut off and seem left behind.

Dogville (2003)

Mise en scene d'un dramme

[8/10 · 19 December 2003]

'Dogville'is a theatrical movie. The action takes place in a closed space and it is divided into chapters which are as a matter of fact scenes.

The drama starts slowly and with good premises: a stranger woman arrives at Dogville, a little town, on the run from a gang of gangsters. Her name is Grace. The little community of Dogville, city of dog, not of God, apparently accepts her and just asks her some work in exchange. And this seems to follow very strictly the protestant morality: you must deserve what you receive.

But soon afterwards things change: it is clear that people search her very closely, the risk in harbouring her is increased and Dogville asks more and more. Eventually it becomes too much and there is a break. Grace will not accept their vexations anymore and will take her revenge.

Unlike other Lars von Trier's heroines Grace will not submit to evil: she will act her revenge in the name of justice and of the rights of human beings.

The drama, very well played indeed by any character, is well constructed: there is a quiet beginning, and abrupt increasing of violence and then the turning point.

En excellent movie which demonstrates that it is possible to make movies even with small means.

The Best of Youth (2003)

The Story of Two Young Men Life as a Mirror of Italian Life

[8/10 · 18 December 2003]

'La meglio gioventù' is a long movie written for TV, but also shown at the cinemas and which won the price at Cannes contest 'un certain regard'. It is about the life of the Carati family, of people gravitating around them and meanwhile the life of Italy from the 1960s to the 2000s.

I think 'la meglio gioventù' is a very moving movie: Marco Tullio Giordana succeeds in describing minds and psychology not only of the two main characters, Nicola and Matteo Carati, but also of other people living their life around them: Giulia, Nicola's wife who takes part in Brigate Rosse actions, Adriana, Matteo and Nicola's mother, their father... Every one has his complexity, his human motivations and attitudes, his personal story which is always also involved with the general environment.

The issue is, from my point of view, a very poetical picture, something that you feel being yours as well.

Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)

The Story of a Woman Who Wants To Revenge Herself

[7/10 · 18 December 2003]

The Bride was once part of a group of female assassins: till she changed her life, took a new name and, pregnant, decided to get married, but not succeeded since her former boss, Bill, with her former companions arrived and killed everybody at the ceremony and apparently her as well.

As a matter of fact she was not dead. And she decided to make her revenge. To kill all those who tried to kill her and succeeded in killing all the people at the ceremony and the child she was waiting for as well.

I liked 'Kill Bill' very much. It follows the attempts and adventures of women warriors who fight and hate each other. Like in old epic stories people fight for principles despite concrete restrictions or unlikeliness. As a matter of fact Tarantino does not describe his characters with many details: they are mainly characters, not people meat and bones...And that is what makes the movie so fascinating, throws you in the universe of ideals, of old riders stories. Even the description of characters (Cottonmouth for example), of their past life is addressed to showing the reason of her ideas, of her personal morality, but not of her emotions or sensations as human being. The use of cartoons helps in this sense.

I wait for the second part...

All or Nothing (2002)

Life is Nothing Without Sentiments

[7/10 · 23 September 2003]

The setting of this movie is a typical Leigh's: Southeast London, Britain contemporary working class.

At the very beginning you perceive the complexity of the emotive atmosphere: there is a family which seems hardly to communicate; a single mother with her bully and unhappy daughter; a couple of alcoholic parents with their cute, but also somewhat discontent girl...

A universe where people seem to have lost the desire or the capacity of communicating.

But then something happens: the fat boy is hit by a heart attack. People around him are worried and deeply impressed. They seem to rediscover the possibility to stand aside, to help each other, to talk to each other. The miracle has happened: a life with sentiments is all.

Facing Windows (2003)

The Story of a Woman and a Mirror of Another Love Story in the Past

[7/10 · 29 April 2003]

The movie tells us the story of a woman in her thirties, Giovanna, who has been married for nine years with Filippo, the father of their two children and who suddenly, probably due to her meeting with an older man, Massimo Girotti, reflects upon her life.

Step by step Giovanna discovers events of David's life, reads one of his letters and starts to understand his thoughts, his sentiments, his behavior. Meanwhile she herself examines her life including the fact that she peers every day her neighbor Lorenzo who lives in the flat opposite. And she begins to talk to Davide, to explain that she desired a different job, possibly as a pastry chief, but had given up, had thought it was too hard.

The director cleverly gives you the idea of Giovanna's great emotional confusion, but also of her discovery of a new way. As a matter of fact she eventually meets with Lorenzo and has a brief relationship with him, but also finds out that her family, the love for her husband and their children is more important. Her 'new life' will be in the professional field: she leaves her job and tries to work in a pastry.

The movie is well narrated, the characters are convincing even if sometimes weak (I think to Lorenzo moreover). I found the plot a little confused as well as Giovanna's mind. Eventually I got the impression that too many mini plots all together weaken the main story which looses intensity.

Far from Heaven (2002)

A Dramatic Love Story in 1950s Connecticut

[7/10 · 25 March 2003]

Far from Heaven is apparently the typical dramatic plot which takes place in the 50s: Cathy is the perfect housewife, with a lovely and successful husband, two well educated children, but suddenly something happens which begins to disintegrate everything. As a matter of fact she discovers the homosexuality of her husband. And meanwhile she starts talking with her black gardener about her grief and finds out he is the only person with which she can have a relationship. Enough to put in discussion all the values and convictions of a life which seemed to be perfectly under control...

When Cathy speaks with Raymond in the garden he tells her that often you must look behind the colors of things and this is what happens to Cathy and partially to her husband Frank. They start a new chapter of their life whose substance is different from everything they believed in before. Apparently the color of things does not change and goes on to be the charming one of the 50's Connecticut with its gorgeous red and browns and the wonderful pink orange of flowers, but behind that something important has happened and changed deeply the flow of their life.

Man on the Train (2002)

A two characters' movie

[6/10 · 2 December 2002]

I really did not like this movie and cannot understand all the noise about it. I must admit I do not like other Leconte's movies as well, with the exception of 'le mari de la coiffeuse'.

I often get the impression of something 'deja vu', possibly presented in another way, sometimes from an original point of view, but essentially something which has already been said. In this movie Leconte represents two different, almost opposite characters who eventually understand each other and come to like each other. Well that you perceive at the very beginning and there is almost no development (I mean true development) of the argument. The story gets boring even with some ironic episodes. From my point of view there is no depth in the description of characters and story (rather poor as a matter of fact). I get the impression that the originality of the movie is only an exterior aspect.

A Scandalous Journey (2002)

A Passionate Love Story

[6/10 · 8 October 2002]

The movie is about the ardent love story between the brilliant poet Dino Campana and the well known writer Sibilla Aleramo.

The Cultural background and atmosphere is the beginning of the 20th century with its revolutionary content relating sentimental life, human relationships, the new attitude of women and men, the refusal of the so called conformism and so on. And from this point of view I got the impression that the movie succeeded.

What I did not appreciate is the description of the development of the two main characters' love. As a matter of fact there is no description or explanation of what happened to Sibilla Aleramo's or Dino Campana's mind, heart, what where their reflections. You see the story of their strong love, but you do not understand the deep motivation of this passion, you feel you remain of the surface...

I think the movie could have been better.

Ripley's Game (2002)

Or the Game of Life

[6/10 · 18 September 2002]

A terrific, but very interesting story: a cold blooded murderer decides to take to crime a father of family apparently innocuous. A real drama which grows higher and higher in the course of the movie. The plot is very well lead forward by the main character, Ripley, played by an outstanding John Malkovic.

The drama itself is very well acted, but some aspects of the movie are not so strong: the main character's love affair is elegant and soft, but not very true; Chiara Caselli doesn't play so well: she is apparently weak compared with John Malkovic.

Globally speaking the story is convincing, but weak in some parts: the relationship father/son, the relationship wife/husband, how evil grows inside an apparently innocent man...

Respiro (2002)

A Beautiful Movie about Life

[8/10 · 7 August 2002]

It is the second film of Director Emanuele Crialese and an excellent one, which has won the award at Cannes Film Festival this year at the 'La Semaine de la Critique'.

The story is very simple: a family whose mother and wife (Valeria Golino) is very lively, loves people and dogs around her, but is not understood or accepted by the social environment and its strict rules. She is considered mad and they would like to send her away, to be examined by a physician in Milan. Eventually she is helped by her elder son Pasquale.

The movie is very rich: it describes life in a seaside village (at the isle of Lampedusa) in Italy with its tribal rules and conventions; it also describes the network of true affection inside the family; it creates a parallel between all these points of view and the symbolic values of life...

Certain scenes are magic (those in the water, of with fire): very 'Italian' and still universal, you really perceive the deep and fascinating sound of life.

I really think this is one of the best movies of these last months.

Mostly Martha (2001)

A Poetic Movie

[7/10 · 17 July 2002]

It is a very poetic movie about sentiments, human relationships, love and being able to love.

There is an interesting and amusing way to symbolize food: cold and technical in the attitude of Martha at the beginning and, at the opposite,warm and 'affective' in Mario's style. It is a bit schematic, but very effective. The same opposition is between Mario's Italian character and Martha's....

Very pleasant movie, worth to be seen.

Code Unknown (2000)

Or how hard may be to communicate

[7/10 · 16 April 2002]

This movie has an excellent pace: it develops throughout short stories like other films in this last period and tells us about different aspects of life, particularly of human relationships. Man / woman, father and son, a young woman and an old one, friends of different races... It is difficult to find a good code, something which really allows you to communicate. More generally it is difficult to understand different aspects of life: the actress plays her role or is she really herself?

It is not an homogenous movie and doesn't pretend to be, the only aspect I did not appreciate is that it risks to loose compositive unity.

The Closet (2001)

or of the Relativeness of Life

[7/10 · 5 March 2002]

It is a very pleasant movie showing in a Pirandellian way how life changes if we only change the perspective from which we observe it.

The plot is very simple: a man risks to loose his job, pretends to be gay just in order to avoid it, his life changes when everybody believes him a gay. Why? He has not changed, his attitude towards life is not changed, what has happened?

The point of view has changed and people look at him in a different way, possibly understand him or listen to him. He himself has changed: looks at his life in a different way, understands thinks that before he had not considered (the relationship with his ex wife, for example). As a matter of fact this new 'perspective' allows him to find himself and to behavior in a way more proximate to his real personality.

The Closet (2001)

or of the Relativeness of Life

[7/10 · 5 March 2002]

It is a very pleasant movie showing in a Pirandellian way how life changes if we only change the perspective from which we observe it.

The plot is very simple: a man risks to loose his job, pretends to be gay just in order to avoid it, his life changes when everybody believes him a gay. Why? He has not changed, his attitude towards life is not changed, what has happened?

The point of view has changed and people look at him in different way, possibly understand him or listen to him. He himself has changed: looks at his life in a different way, understands thinks that before he had not considered (the relationship with his ex wife, for example. As a matter of fact this new 'perspective' allows him to find himself and to behaviour in a way more proximate to his real personality.

Serendipity (2001)

A Totally Useless, but Well Made Hollywood Comedy

[4/10 · 3 January 2002]

'Serendipity' is a well made (good dialogues, well performed, normal plot...) movie, but adds nothing to films history. You know right at the beginning how the story will be like and from then on everything is very predictable. The movie has got all the ingredients of the typical brilliant comedy, shame it's not brilliant... Compare it to 'Bridget Jones' Diary' and you will see what a funny comedy is like.

Bridget Jones's Diary (2001)

A Delightful Comedy

[7/10 · 19 December 2001]

'Bridget Jones' is a very pleasant American comedy with all the ingredients of best movies of this genre. Though the environment is British and very well described BJD has charms that only good American brilliant comedies have: think to 'When Harry Met Sally'.

The cast is very good and the story funny and a little predictable like plots of this genre always are.I think it was a long time I hadn't seen such a good brilliant comedy!

Santa Maradona (2001)

A Sweet and Sour Movie

[6/10 · 6 December 2001]

Santa Maradona tells the story of two 'young' men living in Turin and trying to start their professional life after studying at university. Their way to live appears funny (the couple Accorsi / De Rienzo plays very well together), but also sad and void of points of reference. They communicate very well with each other, thanks also to their common passion for football, but their relationship with the rest of the world is difficult, not clear and not definite.

It is a clever movie about the difficulty to live, to find oneself identity and to pursue one's interests and objectives. Stefano Accorsi even leaves the girlfriend he loves due to his unsatisfaction with himself. Very real situations.

The Lady and the Duke (2001)

A Different French Revolution

[6/10 · 2 November 2001]

In this movie Rohmer tells us about French Revolution using the words of a foreign lady now living in Paris. In this way he represents a totally different point of view: an aristocratic, realistic lady obviously sees events in a way which is not the one of traditional historical chronicle. This I found very interesting and also actual: how totalitarianism is against reason and good sense; the loss of certain human prerogatives when the will of the herd wins.

What I did not specially liked is the observation of human characters, which Rohmer usually does so well, but in this occasion is weak, not impressive. You don't really feel drama or any deep trouble in the duke's or the lady's soul, even their mutual love is not very well told.

Globally speaking is is not one of Rohmer's best movies.

Kandahar (2001)

A woman's journey to Kandahar

[6/10 · 15 October 2001]

'Safar e Ghandehar' is a partly documentary movie telling the journey of a woman throughout Afganistan trying to reach Kandahar where her sister, she still hopes, lives. She records anything she happens to listen so that you feel the horror and the difficulties of life in that country and everything through the main character's voice. In a way it sounds even more terrible. Every time she stops she finds a new guide (being a woman traveling across Afganistan is even more difficult)and this guide helps her to understand aspects of that reality: at the very beginning a man who accepts to declare she is one of his wives and then she knows the others; then a young boy, son of a widow, who has been thrown out of a Korean school; then a self made doctor coming from America, and so on. A spectacle even surreal someway and very impressive. Worth to see.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000)

A Chinese Cloak and Sword Tale

[7/10 · 25 September 2001]

It is a pleasant movie: the plot is a bit difficult (you must never forget we are in a magic world where almost anything might happen!), but eventually easy to follow and understand, the characters are very well outlined. A story where, as tradition says, high senses eventually win: honor, love, familial lies...

I like very much epic stories and it is one of these. The stage is beautiful (different parts of China: spectacular)and also special effects were not disturbing as sometimes happen.

Nice, worth to see.

All the Knowledge in the World (2001)

A 'new age' knowledge of the world

[6/10 · 13 September 2001]

This is a very pleasant 'little' movie. The plot is about the discovering of unknown aspects of life even by positive characters far from believing in extrasensory phenomena. The director puts together lightly and ironically the loud teacher of philosophy, his class and the simple, but wise uncle.

Different lives, different ideas, different minds: everything goes together and you can't understand what is true and what not.

It's worth to see.

A Good Marriage (1982)

Le Charme discret de la bourgeoisie...

[8/10 · 6 September 2001]

A simple story placed in a windy village in the outskirts of Paris: a story which could have happened nowadays. A 25 years old girl not nice, but very strong minded who decides to get married to matter to whom. You perceive different worlds and environments: high and low bourgeoisie, the capital and the suburbs and in the middle a person with his problems, ideas, opinion, sentiments. It is a sweet and clever film and Rohmer is a master in describing his characters: you feel all the French great cultural tradition behind him.

Shrek (2001)

A contemporary The Beauty and the Beast

[7/10 · 31 August 2001]

I saw Shrek with my five years boy who was charmed by the story (tender moments between the donkey and the dragoon have been very much appreciated). I was charmed too. It is magical and very clever. The story is layered for different levels of understanding and even if a child hardly understands certain hints (f.e.: the notice during the wedding or the signals for tourists of Dulac)enjoys the atmosphere and perceives the hilarity of the situations.

A good film for children and adults.

The Waiting List (2000)

Midsummer Night's Dream at Cuba

[6/10 · 9 August 2001]

It is a simple movie pleasant and well directed. Fresh air: a collective dream where the characters give the best of themselves.You feel criticism and meanwhile deep hope in potentialities of Cuba society.

I perceived something of Bunuel's films here, but without his cynism. 'Lista de espera' is a naive movie worth to see.