Reviews

Attracted by a lot of extremely positive reviews, I made up my mind and I watched it. Another film about actors that try to make their Hollywood dream come true with a lot of romance in the process? Let's see...After 20 minutes, watching it had become painful but I decided to resist. Maybe the finale could have been surprising. I love Ryan and Emma, believe me, but their talent is so wasted in this directionless boring and overrated film, that tediously drags on to a non-exciting ending. Let's understand each other well: technically flawless, beautiful photography, beautiful music (maybe too much singing), superb actors, but when the direction and the editing is not good enough the film doesn't take off.

The brilliant interpretation of Bob Odenkirk (Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul) illuminates a valuable film in the wake of the John Wick trilogy (not surprisingly written by the screenwriter of the successful "franchise"). Well-paced and full of surprises "I am Nobody" ("Nobody" is the original title) is also not lacking in subtle irony, taking itself not seriously at various times, which can be deduced from several dry jokes in a braggart American style trodden just enough to make you smile. Pure fun is still the main objective of this work, yet another one baked from the Hollywood forge to entertain the masses with gunshots. What is very valuable is that the protagonist is very distant, as a physical and psychological description, from the stereotype of the hero all muscles and square jaw. He is a family man who, who at first seems normal, almost a "loser"; the scenes that lead to the revelation of his true identity are compelling as well as liberating, and make us love his successful character even more. So this film runs fast and enjoyable like drinking a nice glass of Champagne, even if I don't consider it a "Champagne" of cinematography at all but, rather, a pleasant sparkling wine. Finally, we are still a long way off, at least in terms of atmosphere, from the charm of John Wick.

Certainly inspired by Nolan's masterpiece "Inception", "Reminiscence" is no more than a faded derivation of it. It is a pity, because there are some excellent elements that, if they had been well developed in a more original way, they would have certainly helped to raise its caliber. The cast is phenomenal, with Hugh Jackman as outstanding as ever. Unfortunately it is not pleasant to see him in weak and awkwardly choreographed action scenes even if immersed in visually spectacular contexts. However, there are highly emotional moments well orchestrated. Nevertheless, they do not make us forget how the director Lisa Joy has too often lost herself in her own reminiscent labyrinths.

This film is a perfect example of the Commedia all'Italiana, one of the best films (if not the best) of this genre of which, I can say, it is the quintessence. Directed by Mario Monicelli, one of the best Italian director of that period, it had a huge box-office success. It's one of the most hilarious films I've ever watched.

Five middle aged friends enjoying life and having good time by making pranks, by making a mess out of the established society that, for them, is rather boring. But their behaviors show that something is not right with their life, since being in search of continuous fun is certainly a way to forget one's pain and problems. For this, aside from being funny, it is also bitter-sweet. For the quintet nothing is sacred, anything can be laughed at (also a funeral) and thus it is amorally enjoyable. In short, breaking moral rules with friends, making cruel jokes with them is a medicine against the pain of normal life. Memorable is the scene in which the five friends slap passengers of a train who have their head out of the windows as the train starts moving and thus cannot go down and react anymore.

Two garage owners in Spain compete in a breathtaking rally and cross the finish line together. The prize, a red Dune Buggy with a yellow hood, goes to both of them. To decide which of the two should be the owner, they compete at "beers and sausages". Whoever eats the most, wins. But the restaurant, which is inside an amusement park, is devastated by a gang, sent by a gangster who aims to buy that land to build a skyscraper. And here is the first cult scene. While the restaurant is devastated Spencer and Hill continue to eat as if nothing had happened.

Finally they decide to change restaurants but when they leave, the gang causes the destruction of their Dune Buggy. The two are determined to ask for a new one from a childish Gangster, a rather colorful and funny character whose "advisor" is a German psychologist, a very comic character with a very strong accent, which incites him to be more and more evil.

We are not facing the best film of the Spencer / Hill couple but certainly this film has several good points, not least that of being highly entertaining thanks to the valuable action scenes, as well as thanks to a couple of scenes so successful that they have become immortal . It's not casual that a remake of this film is in the works. Some say that all Spencer-Hill films are the same. I cannot but disagree with these statements. Of course their films all follow the same formula (on the other hand convincing and winning), but it is a formula that gives space to interesting variations. But what is most relevant is that they are (unique) films that many have tried to replicate with little success. In fact, the success of the 18 films that see this duo in action is due to the alchemy between the two actors and the dynamics between their characters, which never tire the viewer and, indeed, become fixed in his imagination and settle into cult status.

The opening scene, a long rally race is something spectacular, with dozens of cars being destroyed (many of them by Hill and Spencer). The fight scenes are perfectly choreographed. Fast and effective, they leave ample room for Hill's exquisite acrobatics and amuses the fans who see Bud easily jump a horse (the exerciser, not a real horse) with an agility that you would not expect from a man of his size.

But the real gem of this film is the scene of Paganini the killer who never fails, which has remained famous as LA LA LA LA LA LA, grotesque and funny. It has become a cult scene that shines with its own light, independent of the film it is taken from. . The only flaw of the film is the romantic subplot (which obviously involves Terence Hill) not sufficiently developed and left like this, in mid-air. A film, however, worth watching, 1 hour and 41 minutes well spent.

I have read so many reviews of hard criticism about this film, all of them extremely negative. They call it "spaghetti western" even if this label is far from exact. In fact we are facing not a "spaghetti western" but a "western beans", the first film of this sub-genre. A lazy, sleepy super gunslinger and his big brother thief, leaving their guns aside because they prefer to beat the hell out of the "bad guys" with their fists. I have also read critics writing that the "fight scenes" are clumsy and "badly staged": these gentlemen do not understand that the beatings of Bud Spencer (Carlo Pedersoli) and Terence Hill (Mario Girotti) have created a trend that before did not exist and that they are a caricature of the violence of western films. I'm probably so attached to this movie because Terence and Bud were my heroes when I was a kid, when I used to run to the cinema as soon as their new movie came out. But also Quentin Tarantino loves this movie so much that he paid homage to it by using the film's catchy opening theme in the finale of his film Django Unchained. I am, therefore, in very good company. I love the dialogues in this film: irreverent, pungent, funny. The story is very good and there are never boring moments. Direction is excellent as is acting. This is one of the best western movies of all time, but also the best Spencer / Hill movie. If you loved it you can't miss the sequel "They Kept Calling Him Trinity" and "My Name is Nobody".

A disappointing film that wastes a stellar cast and falls into ridicule. A populist film that is everything but subtle with a bunch of characters that are worth of comics being so flat and superficial (except for Randall and Dibiasky). In several points I could read a metaphor for Covid which is highly misleading since science in not univocal and several scientific voices that have authority simply don't agree with the mainstream media narrative which is everything but science. This film is a banal critique of talk shows, power and mostly of the Republican party. It is really hard to take this work seriously because its satire talks about reality in a too simplistic way.

It is incredible how Frank Darabont, in his first direction, was able to create a masterpiece of such stature as this marvelous film (masterfully written by Darabont himself). The ingredients of this success were, of course, also the formidable cast (Robbins and Freeman) and a wonderful soundtrack by Thomas Newman. The film underlines the benign and compassionate nature of humanity after all, telling the story with great clarity and with remarkable dramatic tension. Some say we are facing the best film of all time. I am not very convinced of this, but undoubtedly, in my opinion, it occupies a deserved place in the shortlist of the top 10. It is a film capable of giving you deep emotions and of raising the spirit in the darkest moments and therefore a true heritage of humanity tout court.

This is a film that is as much loved as it is despised. I, personally, love it. From the point of view of the mere image this film is fantastic, pure poetry of narrative light. But it's not just the visual experience that is all-encompassing. It is the narrative that is compelling, as is any story of the hero's journey that is well told, both entrancing and terrifying. Like a modern Odysseus (Ulysses) the protagonist makes his journey and, when he returns, he will find himself greatly changed. Because, after all, this is what good films tell about: change (for better or for worse). The acting is impressive, the ending is not obvious (and in my opinion there was no better ending than the one written by Nolan), there are highly emotional and touching dramatic moments, all emphasized by an excellent soundtrack.

A stellar cast for a timeless, brilliant and spectacular classic film. A milestone set in the history of cinema by three big names: Francis Ford Coppola, Marlon Brando and Al Pacino. The best Mob film ever made, pioneering in many aspects: camera movements and shots, poetry of light, actor's work in pauses full of meaning and tension. The work of production designer Dean Tavoularis and costume designer Anna Hill Johnstone were very meticulous and truthful and created that impact of truthfulness that served as an indispensable support in the unraveling of the intertwining of a terrible and shocking but tender at the same time story, always exciting. A film that gives you something more at every new vision.

A deeply emotional epic film starring a fantastic Russell Crowe who manages to give both incredible depth and remarkable authority to the character of Maximo. A monumental film that narrates the journey of the hero from the initial triumph to the miserable conditions of a fighting slave for the delight of a bloodthirsty audience to the exciting and moving final of victory and redemption. Terribly visually beautiful with great cinematography and accurate and truthful "production design", this film is entertainment at its best. Gladiator is a film that has influenced twenty years of epic films and will influence many more to come.