The film is a well-crafted study of two fathers and two sons. One father owns a prestigious French vineyard but cannot accept or encourage his own son, whom he actually despises, despite the young man's constant attempts to please his father. The other father, terminally ill with cancer, had been estate manager of the vineyard. When his son, who had emigrated and worked for a California winery, returns to visit his dying father, the vineyard owner is so impressed that he attempts to lure the visitor back to France with an impressive job package... including an offer to legally adopt him so that he would share in the inheritance of the vineyard. So now the lines of conflict are neatly in place. One son versus the other. The dying father versus the vineyard owner whom he believes is trying to "steal" away his son... added to the basic conflict between a demanding father and his thankless son. The characters are skillfully drawn and flawlessly acted by a marvelous cast of French players. I thought the direction and photography were superb; you will also learn a lot about the art of growing grapes and producing fine French wines.
Reviews
9 Reviews
The Best of Youth
(2003)
Failed to grab me
13 February 2006
Yes, I read the NY Times' review and immediately put my name on the list to get the DVD, so I must have been one of the first to get it. I fell sleep after the first hour or so. It just wasn't a particularly good or interesting cinematic experience. When doing a mini-series for TV, the first episode is especially important. It's crucial to present an interesting set of characters in intriguing circumstances, played by attractive actors. Sorry, none of these qualities came through for me, and I love French and Italian movies and am certainly into European cultures. But this film or mini-series or whatever ... did not begin to cut the mustard. The two "young" brothers, supposedly in their late teens or early 20's when the film began, actually looked jaded and middle-aged from the very first shot. The photography and direction? Pedestrian at best. The initial story line? Improbable and uninvolving. So why should anyone invest all that time to see a piece of mediocrity like this. Yes, it may have gotten better later; I wouldn't know. I could not bring myself to take even one further look. I Vitelloni this is NOT!
Conspiracy of Silence
(2003)
Interesting but flawed drama
6 August 2005
This is an interesting drama built on some questionable premises: 1. That many priests are HIV positive, and 2. That a good student would be summarily expelled from seminary because he visited another seminarian's room alone in the early evening. Premise #1 seems to me unlikely, especially in the United States, but in Ireland...who knows?
Premise #2 is the situation which sets this drama in motion, but it is almost unbelievable that this seminary would expel a student for possible but unproven sexual misconduct, when the whole culture of the seminary was to keep any such conduct, real or imagined, deeply buried in secrecy.
That said, the problem of clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church is explored and handled well. The actors are all credible and the film moves swiftly toward the final confrontation scene when all the secret sins are exposed. Then the film is suddenly over, leaving many unexplained plot strands dangling and unresolved.
Luckily the DVD contains sub-titles in English. You will need them to understand the swiftly-paced Irish brogue employed by the cast.
Premise #2 is the situation which sets this drama in motion, but it is almost unbelievable that this seminary would expel a student for possible but unproven sexual misconduct, when the whole culture of the seminary was to keep any such conduct, real or imagined, deeply buried in secrecy.
That said, the problem of clerical celibacy in the Catholic Church is explored and handled well. The actors are all credible and the film moves swiftly toward the final confrontation scene when all the secret sins are exposed. Then the film is suddenly over, leaving many unexplained plot strands dangling and unresolved.
Luckily the DVD contains sub-titles in English. You will need them to understand the swiftly-paced Irish brogue employed by the cast.
Paragraph 175
(2000)
A very professional job by seasoned documentarians
5 July 2005
I was a bit put off by some of the negative comments, but it is always interesting to then view a film which is praised by some and despised by one or two. As is often the case, the negative views turn out to be more a reflection of personality rather than of serious critical scholarship.
Putting together this film was hardly a snap. There are only a handful of survivors still alive and living in central Europe, and some refused to appear in the film. I think the film-makers were very successful in capturing the essence of the homosexual experience during the Nazi times and beyond, as reflected in the footage they obtained from the six or seven survivors who were willing to share their stories on camera.
We really don't need any more "education" on Nazi legal machinations or conditions in concentration camps. We ARE interested in the experiences and emotions of these particular people, to see them and hear them, before they are swallowed by the inexorable march of time. The film performs this invaluable service and does it well.
The interviews are interspersed with a general historical summary of events and their effect on the gay community in Germany during the years between the two great wars, and later on. Yes, these parts may resemble a special on the History Channel. Nothing wrong with that!
All in all, a very professional job and a solid achievement.
Putting together this film was hardly a snap. There are only a handful of survivors still alive and living in central Europe, and some refused to appear in the film. I think the film-makers were very successful in capturing the essence of the homosexual experience during the Nazi times and beyond, as reflected in the footage they obtained from the six or seven survivors who were willing to share their stories on camera.
We really don't need any more "education" on Nazi legal machinations or conditions in concentration camps. We ARE interested in the experiences and emotions of these particular people, to see them and hear them, before they are swallowed by the inexorable march of time. The film performs this invaluable service and does it well.
The interviews are interspersed with a general historical summary of events and their effect on the gay community in Germany during the years between the two great wars, and later on. Yes, these parts may resemble a special on the History Channel. Nothing wrong with that!
All in all, a very professional job and a solid achievement.
The Fire That Burns
(1997 TV Movie)
Intelligent and gripping, yes, but NOT all that satisfying
4 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
We are told that this is the story of the love/friendship between two pupils at a repressive Catholic School for Boys in post-war France. One of the boys is a brilliant upperclassman, the other a much younger poor pupil with behavioral problems. As the movie opens, the friendship between these two is already established, but no explanation or dramatic incident is shown to justify this unlikely combination. Why would the older kid, about to graduate, bother with the younger boy? I know about schoolboy crushes, but aren't they usually between peers or from student to teacher?
At the same time, the strict Abbot (the #2 priest at the school) has developed a powerful attraction to the younger boy as well, so that a rivalry is set in motion between the Abbot and the older boy for the affections of the younger one. All of this might be more believable if the child actor, the object of their affections, displayed some sort of magnetic charm/beauty/attraction. He doesn't.
The two boys are meeting in secret. When eventually the older one bestows a kiss, the camera cuts away quickly and leaves the impression that something nasty is about to take place. I doubt it.
What IS nasty is the power play and the the games used by the Abbot to eliminate his rival. All of this has been observed silently by the Father Superior who runs the school. The Abbot has his rival expelled, and the Father Superior gets rid of the younger one. Both boys disappear and are not seen again. So much for the "story" of their friendship!
What remains is the powerful and extended final scene in which the Father Superior confronts the Abbot and chastises him for his abuse of power. They debate the issue of Christian love and charity, and the Abott must inevitably yield to the censure of his boss.
We have here, then, a film that is primarily a character study of the repressed and devious Abbot, and how, in the name of "love," he abuses the students without laying a finger on them. This puts in perspective the later abuses of the Catholic clergy in times of looser restraints and more overt sexuality.
It is fascinating, and the film will stay with you. I just wish they had expanded on the original stage play to make the basic situation more believable. A more charismatic actor as the youngster might have helped.
At the same time, the strict Abbot (the #2 priest at the school) has developed a powerful attraction to the younger boy as well, so that a rivalry is set in motion between the Abbot and the older boy for the affections of the younger one. All of this might be more believable if the child actor, the object of their affections, displayed some sort of magnetic charm/beauty/attraction. He doesn't.
The two boys are meeting in secret. When eventually the older one bestows a kiss, the camera cuts away quickly and leaves the impression that something nasty is about to take place. I doubt it.
What IS nasty is the power play and the the games used by the Abbot to eliminate his rival. All of this has been observed silently by the Father Superior who runs the school. The Abbot has his rival expelled, and the Father Superior gets rid of the younger one. Both boys disappear and are not seen again. So much for the "story" of their friendship!
What remains is the powerful and extended final scene in which the Father Superior confronts the Abbot and chastises him for his abuse of power. They debate the issue of Christian love and charity, and the Abott must inevitably yield to the censure of his boss.
We have here, then, a film that is primarily a character study of the repressed and devious Abbot, and how, in the name of "love," he abuses the students without laying a finger on them. This puts in perspective the later abuses of the Catholic clergy in times of looser restraints and more overt sexuality.
It is fascinating, and the film will stay with you. I just wish they had expanded on the original stage play to make the basic situation more believable. A more charismatic actor as the youngster might have helped.
Too Beautiful for You
(1989)
L'amour surreal avec musique trop belle
1 July 2005
The few reviews here indicate that this is a film which provokes in some boredom and confusion, while other will find it provocative and daring in its originality. Maltin gives it a two-star rating and says "after a bright beginning, it goes absolutely nowhere." I was prepared to abandon the film after 15 minutes or so, but the absolutely gorgeous Schubert melodies that pervade the score and tie it all together....they kept me going with the film, and the fantastic photography, acting, and plot twists sustained my interest to the end.
Yes, the approach is surreal and the story-telling non-linear. Much of the dialog is brilliant, but it soon became obvious (to me, anyway) that these people are not actually saying these things to one another ... and what an interesting world it would be if we could say aloud all the things that we deeply feel! I cannot pretend to have understood it all, but the film had an intellectual appeal and, to repeat an earlier point, a ravishing score of Schubert pieces which adorn the film like precious jewels.
Yes, the approach is surreal and the story-telling non-linear. Much of the dialog is brilliant, but it soon became obvious (to me, anyway) that these people are not actually saying these things to one another ... and what an interesting world it would be if we could say aloud all the things that we deeply feel! I cannot pretend to have understood it all, but the film had an intellectual appeal and, to repeat an earlier point, a ravishing score of Schubert pieces which adorn the film like precious jewels.
Legong: Dance of the Virgins
(1935)
A culture that has NOT been destroyed!
30 May 2005
The main value of this enchanting film is the glimpse it gives us of Balinese village life and culture of 100 years ago. The film is well photographed and the Technicolor process in use then was more than adequate to the task of bringing out all the rich details.
Several reviewers have lamented about this "lost" culture, even suggesting that Hollywood and film audiences have played a part in its destruction. WRONG! The Balinese culture remains relatively intact today! This is due to the genius of the people in using modern technological when necessary and convenient without destroying the essence and magic of their vibrant cultural heritage.
So the great appeal of this film will be to those who visit Bali today and wish to compare their experience with these pictures of the past. There are some differences, of course. Most Balinese males now wear western attire and jeans "during the day" and may revert to more traditional sarong garb in the privacy of their homes "after work."
All the young ladies cover their breasts today, but this trend was already underway in the thirties when the film was shot. (However, one can still find in the villages very old ladies who disdain covering their upper bodies.) In the film all of the females are shown bare-breasted some but not all of the time. And they are beauties! (And one suspects the raison d'etre for the creation of the film may have been to exploit such pulchritude!)
So the pictures of village life in the film are accurate, and can be experienced today if one leaves the tourist areas and seeks out the rural hinterlands. The dances shown in the film are still performed on a regular basis (for a tourist audience, to be sure) but unchanged in content. Cock-fighting remains a very popular pastime. The religious rites and processions and cremation ceremonies have not changed at all. They are all well depicted in the film.
However, the writer of the screen play was obviously not a Balinese and his plot contrivances concerning romance and courtship are more European than Balinese. It is, for instance, almost unthinkable that a Balinese girl would kill herself over a failed "love affair" consisting mainly of a few amorous glances and a brief conversation or two! She would simply move on and pick another lover.
The writer also gets the religious thinking behind cremation all wrong. A Balinese MUST be properly cremated if the soul is to attain Nirvana, their equivalent of "heaven." An opposite view is posited in the film.
If you have no interest in Bali, forget this film. Otherwise, I think you will enjoy the experience.
Several reviewers have lamented about this "lost" culture, even suggesting that Hollywood and film audiences have played a part in its destruction. WRONG! The Balinese culture remains relatively intact today! This is due to the genius of the people in using modern technological when necessary and convenient without destroying the essence and magic of their vibrant cultural heritage.
So the great appeal of this film will be to those who visit Bali today and wish to compare their experience with these pictures of the past. There are some differences, of course. Most Balinese males now wear western attire and jeans "during the day" and may revert to more traditional sarong garb in the privacy of their homes "after work."
All the young ladies cover their breasts today, but this trend was already underway in the thirties when the film was shot. (However, one can still find in the villages very old ladies who disdain covering their upper bodies.) In the film all of the females are shown bare-breasted some but not all of the time. And they are beauties! (And one suspects the raison d'etre for the creation of the film may have been to exploit such pulchritude!)
So the pictures of village life in the film are accurate, and can be experienced today if one leaves the tourist areas and seeks out the rural hinterlands. The dances shown in the film are still performed on a regular basis (for a tourist audience, to be sure) but unchanged in content. Cock-fighting remains a very popular pastime. The religious rites and processions and cremation ceremonies have not changed at all. They are all well depicted in the film.
However, the writer of the screen play was obviously not a Balinese and his plot contrivances concerning romance and courtship are more European than Balinese. It is, for instance, almost unthinkable that a Balinese girl would kill herself over a failed "love affair" consisting mainly of a few amorous glances and a brief conversation or two! She would simply move on and pick another lover.
The writer also gets the religious thinking behind cremation all wrong. A Balinese MUST be properly cremated if the soul is to attain Nirvana, their equivalent of "heaven." An opposite view is posited in the film.
If you have no interest in Bali, forget this film. Otherwise, I think you will enjoy the experience.
El mar
(2000)
Well-crafted potboiler
17 January 2005
Only the severely deluded will pretend that this film is great art or psychologically penetrating (although there is quite a bit of other penetration going on throughout). It is pure Spanish "Grand Guignol," beautifully photographed, strung out before us like a string of carefully spaced horror-cameo happenings.
The director found a novel that contained all this excrement and he really went ape over the possibilities of cramming it all into one movie. The first sequence involves five young children who witness a guerrilla-style execution during the Spanish Civil War, but only three of them survive the experience. Then the film jumps forward bout 15 years, and those 3 survivors JUST HAPPEN to find themselves in the same TB sanatorium. The 2 men are patients and interact with other supposed patients, all of whom look incredibly buff and healthy.
The shenanigans in the sanatorium have almost nothing to do with the events pictured earlier, but that is not surprising since nothing that happens in this movie has much relation to character or to reality. The gay sub-plots come strictly out of the blue, and aside from some nattering psycho-babble, there is nothing here relating to "the sea."
Having said all that, go ahead and enjoy the movie! It is almost a parody of Spanish melodrama, smartly staged by a wannabe Almodovar.
The director found a novel that contained all this excrement and he really went ape over the possibilities of cramming it all into one movie. The first sequence involves five young children who witness a guerrilla-style execution during the Spanish Civil War, but only three of them survive the experience. Then the film jumps forward bout 15 years, and those 3 survivors JUST HAPPEN to find themselves in the same TB sanatorium. The 2 men are patients and interact with other supposed patients, all of whom look incredibly buff and healthy.
The shenanigans in the sanatorium have almost nothing to do with the events pictured earlier, but that is not surprising since nothing that happens in this movie has much relation to character or to reality. The gay sub-plots come strictly out of the blue, and aside from some nattering psycho-babble, there is nothing here relating to "the sea."
Having said all that, go ahead and enjoy the movie! It is almost a parody of Spanish melodrama, smartly staged by a wannabe Almodovar.
Locked Up
(2004)
Gay prison fantasy
8 January 2005
All the standard ingredients of a brutal prison film are here, interwoven with a very tender gay romance. The action takes place in a German institution, but among the inmates are some British and American prisoners, so there is a substantial amount of dialog in English as well as German, which is well translated in the subtitles. The chemistry of attraction between the newly arrived young German prisoner and the muscular Caribbean-American man of color is palpable and exciting. The plot alternates between brutal realism and romantic fantasy, with lots of eye candy along the way. Never a dull moment! The extras on the DVD include candid interviews with the two gay actors who play the leads so effectively. Hugely enjoyable for the target audience.
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