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A few reviews . . (film or TV) — Page 62

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Made In Italy - 2019 - 7/10

“Elegance is not being noticed, it’s about being remembered.” Giorgio Armani

Her parents want her to finish university already, marry a nice boy, stay in the house and make lots of babies.
Irene, less sure that is what she wants, hires on at Appeal, a mid-tier fashion magazine.
Milan, mid 70’s, and a very heady time as new designers Versace, Armani, Pucci, Fiorucci pull the center of the fashion world to Italy.
Apprentice Irene, in this fairy tale, swiftly meets designers, tours factories, goes on foreign photo shoots.
By the conclusion, character trajectories predict who will succeed, and who will disappear.
Funny, sexy (ample nudity), somewhat historical, this short series is well conceived and tightly focused.
Audience may be limited, but this will be irresistible to fashionistas.

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Married Too Young - 1962 - 4/10

Young, as in still seventeen.
Young man has part time job as mechanic, plans to go to med school after graduating.
He and his sweetie impulsively marry, confront enraged parents, mounting bills, and arguments.
Marked as a comedy, though there are few laughs, though parents are squeezed through the wringer.
More a sanitized time capsule of white bread suburbia, between 50’s rock n roll and British Invasion.
Dull, despite the va va voom presence of bad girl Marianna Hill.

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The Machine - 2013 - 6/10

Fairly intelligent SciFi thriller, set in the near future, as Cold War between China and the West escalates.
Pair of bio-engineers working for Ministry Of Defense, try to equip synthetic humans - cyborgs - androids - toasters - what? - with artificial intelligence. Several sequences and themes seem lifted from Ghost In The Shell.
Several deliberately confusing plotlines, as different cliques have their own agendas: scientists, defense contractors, and beefy security guys with brain implants.
Movie relies on deep shadows and glare to hide budget of $1287, couple rolls of duct tape, and baling wire. Film very dark, and subtitles will help understanding garbled guards and radio chatter.

Interesting, but neither inventive nor ground breaking, since female robots trace from Metropolis to fembots.
Female leads effective throughout as tools and weapons.

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Chinese Puzzle - 2014 - 5/10
AKA - Casse-tête Chinois

French fare, filmed and set mostly in New York, that assumes viewer will be familiar with previous installments, L’auberge Espagñole and Russian Dolls.
Wendy leaves Xavier, takes the kids, moves to New York.
Xavier follows, chills with Isabelle, reconnects with Martine.
Small tempests amounting to squat. Third film definitely running low on steam. Characters getting long in the tooth and their compelling personal dramas middle-aged tedious.
Hardcore arthouse types will queue in line for this, though.

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Belleville-Tokyo - 2010 - 5/10

Ostensibly a marriage in crisis story, do not let the side tale of revival movie house distract you.
The young wife works for two codgers who run the theater, while her marriage crumbles.
Yo yo husband leaves, returns, feeds her excuses a four year old could see through.
The phrase “love is blind” applies, and it is hard to work up sympathy.
The tale wanders around in circles. Husband is immature, wife is needy.
72 minutes of French piffle.
If, however, one perceives the couple and their marriage as artificial, the lopsided reflection of the arthouse cinema, then the story may hold more interest.

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Inspector De Luca - 2008 - 7/10
AKA - Il Commissario De Luca

Four part cop series plays out like four movies.
Set in Bologna from 1938-1948, from the apex of Mussolini’s fascism to the troublesome post war period.
De Luca, refusing to choose sides (partisan v fascist) irritates both while sticking with police work.
He is generally out-numbered and outgunned.
Each episode is a one-off, usually something seedy, sloppily covered up, with the influential in the shadows.
Impeccable production values, from uniformed blackshirts to squalor to opulence.
My knowledge of Italian history is sketchy, and several personages and references escaped me.

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Europa Report - 2013 - 7/10

Thought provoking SciFi follows two year mission heading to Europa (Jupiter) to see if life exists under frozen ice.
Not a fan of “found footage” but this is cleverly done. Also helps that the science in this seems accurate.
Problems and difficulties stem from accidents or equipment malfunctions.
Normally solvable, yet the crew is so very far away (6 - 9 million miles, depending on orbit).
Believable characters help, as do situations.
Found myself thinking, “I wouldn’t do that.” but, of course, the crew had traveled two years, all that distance, without cryo-sleep or other such fantasy. They simply had to take chances.
Great Bear McCreary score.

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Sapphire - 1959 - 6/10

Scotland Yard investigates murder of young girl, dumped on Hampstead Heath.
Soon enough, they realize she was not white, but was high yellow, and passing.
While digging for suspects and motives, detectives encounter racism, implied, overt or smiling.
That twist seems mild now, but was undoubtedly controversial in its day.
Well cast, well acted procedural - and yet - we never know who Sapphire was, as an individual.

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The Strange Color Of Your Body’s Tears - 2013 - 6/10
AKA - L’étrange Couleur des Larmes de Ton Corps

Dan returns home from a trip, discovers wife Edwige missing.
Kidnapped or escaped? Police are doubtful, neighbors elusive.
One views this hallucinatory trip for the visuals. Lurid colors, stop motion photography.
If you attempt to follow any narrative you might end up lost, it is akin to clutching fog.
There is a peculiar chase under the bedsheets – or is it behind the wallpaper – or inside a hatbox?
The apartment building, in which this is set, is a wet dream of art nouveau.
An arthouse homage to Giallo, this is amazing, though often overwhelming.

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Herb & Dorothy: 50 X 50 - 2013 - 6/10

Followup documentary to 2008’s acclaimed Herb & Dorothy.
The first doc caught the Vogel’s, minimalist art collectors of modest means, as they were preparing to bequeath their rather priceless collection to the nation.
50 X 50 charts the flowering of the gift, as fifty museums, one in each state, receives fifty pieces of art.
The film travels, with and without the Vogels, to the various museums.
Interviewees include curators, docents, artists. Some enlighten, some pander.
Minimalist art is difficult to appreciate and value, so the doc mentions the importance of art and how everyone is deserving. This is illustrated during a couple of childrens tours.
I can admire and esteem Herb and Dorothy Vogel, and while I shrug off their collection, I’m glad they built it and then shared it.

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Her - 2013 - 7/10

Near-future yarn that received plenty of ink a few years ago.
Allegory of how humanity plugs in with everyone on the planet, yet grows more disassociated from each other.
Lead character develops relationship with his new OS (operating system) which is more a personal assistant.
Glossy photography (in sunny, fairy-tale Los Angeles) overlays the loneliness of daily existence.
His seemingly well-paid job (writing personal letters) strikes a false note since (1) People increasingly no longer read, and (2) Less and less pay for content.
Enjoyed this - perhaps appreciated would be a better word.
Superbly done, though I feel the overall fear of dislocation is possibly wrong.
Most people I know seem happier in their virtual world over daily reality.

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The Day Of The Beast - 1995 - 7/10
AKA - El Día de la Bestia

Three wise men (or foolish) realize the anti-Christ is about to be born.
Somewhere in Madrid. They vow to stop this before Hᴉs reign begins.
One of many religious themes that suffuse this riotous black comedy.
Father Ángel, a theoretician priest, works out the precise date of birth.
Two others are drawn into his quest.
This spoofs death metal, black magic, TV hoaxers (Caván appears based on the Stupendous Yappi).
One joke, one gag after another, humor from laugh out loud to mean spirited.
Those who have thumbed the Bible, those who attended Sunday school, may catch subtleties.
Likewise those steeped in Catholicism. Not mandatory, though. This is a blast!

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Kill Your Darlings - 2013 - 7/10

Drama about hitherto unknown chapter of Beat history, focusing on young Allen, Bill and Jack, before the kiss of fame.
Oh, and Lucien Carr, too, the violent bad boy who broke taboos and laws, and seems a guru to Allen.
Period jazz music woven with current sounds. Hit and miss there, though in commentary, director defends the modern choice.
The look of the movie, Noirish throughout, added to the uncertainty and air of menace.
I was distracted, however, wondering, 'I never heard of this story. Is this true? This must be fiction.”
The events were accurate, simply forgotten until rather recently.
Gay press has been trumpeting this flick since its release, but don’t be put off if you are squeamish.
Good story, shuttered view of sordid choices by young turks.

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Truman - 2015 - 7/10
AKA - Una Sonrisa Ala Vida

Tomás flies from Canada to visit his friend Julián in Madrid.
Julián, actor, ex-leading man, heartthrob, is winding up his affairs; Tomás acts as our observer.
Wry observations about preparing for ones final departure.
The film captures how friends and family deal with, or ignore, Julián’s situation.
Despite the subject matter, this is neither maudlin nor depressing.
Nor is it chuckles and giggles, the buffoonish bucket-list preferred by shallow studio moguls.
A soft spoken film, with emotions barely suppressed under the skin.

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Shinobi No Mono 5: Return of Mist Saizo - 1964 - 6/10
AKA - Shinobi no Mono Zoku Kirigakure Saizō // 忍びの者 続・霧隠才蔵

Story picks up immediately after 4 (Siege) as Saizo successfully rescues his lord before Ieyasu captures him.
Ieyasu continues to consolidate power and for most of the players this is a back-pedaling game.
Stunt work holds up well, it must have been eye popping in 1964.
Adversaries build alliances, and use ninjas for assassination and counter intelligence.
A bitter tasting love story pierces some of the darkness.
Nevertheless, this episode has a fatalistic tone that seeps into everything.

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Sightseers - 2012 - 6/10

Black comedy of repressed, middle aged female escaping thumb of domineering mother, who is slipping into dementia.
The female meets a slightly older man, they take off on a roadtrip - holiday - sightseeing tour, leaving Ma in the muddle of her short wired brain.
Straight off, the female realizes her boyfriend has a slight problem with order and rage, though he compensates by stoking her romping appetites.
Creeping body count on this. Each death one was at once grisly and funny.
Litterbugs, PETA members, health enthusiasts, if the tag applies, beware.

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Act One - 2015 - 7/10

Theatre junkies!
Adaptation of playwright Moss Hart’s memoir of the same name.
Childhood, early forays into the theatrical world, writing.
Then the first partnership with George S. Kaufman and the agonizing rewriting of their first play.
Engaging, funny, with appearances and name dropping of the Algonquin Circle.
And that may be a problem for those who don’t know references.
Theatre impresarios, Edna Ferber, Dorothy Parker, backers, etc …
Tony Shaloub peerless as Kaufman, Hart’s father, and an older, wiser Hart, gazing back.

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In Darkness - 2018 - 5/10

Muddled thriller of blind concert pianist overhearing death of upstairs neighbor.
Thugs come calling, “What did you see!” - “I’m blind.”
Cops have questions. “Sorry, I was wearing headphones.”
Her secrecy masks a personal agenda, and overshadows the mystery of who killed the upstairs neighbor and why.
Therein lies a major problem with the narrative structure.
Focus often swings to side plots at the expense of other side plots.
Deliberate confusion is to be anticipated in a mystery, yet one expects a degree of logic.
The script (co-written by the director and the lead, hmmm) suffers too many threads that need pruning.
Decent, if well worn, premise, marred by excessive busyness.

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The Angel’s Share - 2012 - 6/10

Likeable Scottish comedy / drama opens with misfits ordered to perform community service for petty crimes or drunken behavior.
Main character has a steady squeeze who wants him out of a multi generation blood feud.
After a day trip to a distillery, coincidences pile up, stretching disbelief and plausibility quite thin.
As mentioned, the overall good-natured tone glosses over this, and you root for their most peculiar caper.
Subtitles an absolute must! Brogue is indecipherable at times, and many phrases sounded like Gaelic.

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Plush - 2011 - 6/10

While Kathy works late, a burglar breaks into her place and begins ransacking.
He overlooks the stuffed bear because - well - it’s just a plush toy.
Short quickie provides bullets, splatter, and laugh out loud moments.
Fans of the Muppets’ “Bear On Patrol”, give this a look.

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The Shiver Of The Vampires - 1971 - 7/10
AKA - Le Frisson des Vampires // Sex And Vampires

Newlyweds Isle and Antoine, still in gown and tuxedo, are driving to their honeymoon.
First, a sidetrip to her cousins whom she has not seen since she was small.
Alas, the cousins died recently under mysterious circumstances. and villagers warn of evil at their castle.
The pair decide to visit nevertheless, and then opt to spend the night. In separate rooms.
An early Jean Rollin film, so expect well composed sets, beautiful women in sheer gowns, and vampires.
At points, no dialogue, followed by characters talking in paragraphs.
Neither a scary nor a frightening film, this beckons with a trancelike charm.
Mind you, I am partial to Rollin.
Impatient souls may bemoan a lack of fluids in this, and limited running and carrying on.

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Europe: Them Or Us - 2016 - 7/10

Out of date already. Two part documentary geared for then topical Brexit vote.
First part deals with the formation of the Common Market, and the UK’s reluctance to join.
UK does join, of course, and the second part details the EU, free migration, and mistakes made.
Presenter does a fine job trying to be fair, though as an outsider, I have no idea.
Curious souls may find this interesting as there is plenty of history, less shown on news shows.

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Postcards From The 48% - 2018 - 6/10

As time hurtles onward, this one-sided “documentary” grows from curio to irrelevant,
Assembled here are voices, thoughts, warnings from members of 16 million who, during the Brexit referendum, voted to remain in Europe.
Filmmaker David Wilkinson makes his points, even extends to prospect of a revote.
That did not occur.
What this exposes is the perils of democracy of the uneducated and undereducated.
An electorate misinformed, poorly informed, or who never bothered with “facts.”
As if there are facts in politics, or if truths are accepted by all.

More balanced was “Europe: Them Or Us” (2016), though now equally meaningless.

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Maciste In Hell - 1925 - 6/10
AKA - Maciste al Inferno

A demon kidnaps prime physical specimen Maciste and ferries him to Hell.
There, he contests with endless hordes of demons and wretched souls -
and - struggles with the temptations of barely clad demons of the female persuasion.
Oh, but a single kiss can be the undoing of the morally sturdy.
Very busy film. Loads of action. Guest characters include Lucifer and Satan!
Lavish production values. Costumes? Most of the underworld wears next to nothing – or nothing.
Save for Maciste, who seems to keep his business suit on most of the time.
Bodywise, Maciste takes after the old-fashioned circus strongman (think Rodrigo Quast) and not today’s steroid pumped fantasy figure.

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Resolution - 2012 - 4/10

OK, lemme get this straight.
Nebbish leaves his hot blonde wife (newly pregnant, ole flying circus position gone forever in a few months), so he can spend a week with childhood buddy, who is a meth addict, living in rural oblivion.

Weird snapshots show up, peepers stare into the house at night, video tapes, odd sounds.
After a day or so, the straight guy starts to wonder if the shack - on Indian burial grounds - may be cursed.
Displaying zero common sense, he stays put, musing aloud, “What is going on?”
I could well point the looking glass at myself, wondering why I select crap like this.
Not to give anything away, but if you’re one of those types who applaud open endings, this has your name on it.
Plenty of sites out there explain (or try to explain) the ending. Good luck.