Lina Wertmüller's 1975 masterpiece, Seven Beauties, is a Holocaust film (with no recognizably Jewish characters), an examination of Italian machismo, and a witheringly sad and disturbing drama. And at times, it becomes a very funny slapstick comedy. Giancarlo Giannini stars as Pasqualino, a charming but somewhat dense egomaniac. He lives in Naples with his mother … Continue reading Machismo faces the Holocaust: My Blu-ray review of Seven Beauties
Category: Comedy
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Stalker, Bad Education, Bardelys the Magnificent, & Carry on Cleo
Four more films that are new to me. As usual, I'm sorting them by quality. A Stalker (1979), Filmstruck This slow, strange, allegorical fantasy from the great Andrei Tarkovsky gets under your skin. A guide, called a stalker, takes two other men on a journey into a strange place called The Zone. We never find out … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: Stalker, Bad Education, Bardelys the Magnificent, & Carry on Cleo
Italian comedy & American tragedy: Friday night at the Pacific Film Archive
My wife and I attended two very different films last night (Friday night) at the Pacific Film Archive. One was a 1963, Italian satire on consumerism that is only now being released in the States. The other was an American classic. Both movies recently enjoyed fine digital restorations. Both were screened from DCPs. We sat … Continue reading Italian comedy & American tragedy: Friday night at the Pacific Film Archive
The 100 Best Comedies, according to the BBC
Last week, the BBC issued a list of the greatest comedy films ever made. Or at least the best ones listed by the hive mind of 253 film critics from 52 countries. A lot of cinephiles disapprove of such lists, and I understand why. They're an attempt to create an objective version of the entirely … Continue reading The 100 Best Comedies, according to the BBC
Dog and cat find comedy gold in Unleashed
B+ Fantasy comedy Written and directed by Finn Taylor You're going to figure out, very early on, how Unleashed will end. But that's okay. You don't go to this kind of movie to be surprised by the ending. You go to laugh. After a very bad breakup, Emma (Kate Micucci) moves to San Francisco with her … Continue reading Dog and cat find comedy gold in Unleashed
Jerry Lewis and Me
My love of cinema started with Jerry Lewis. Visit to a Small Planet is the earliest film I remember loving. I don't love it anymore. I tried twice to watch it in recent years, but couldn't get passed the first few minutes. After reading his obituary Sunday, and forced myself to watch Planet all the … Continue reading Jerry Lewis and Me
Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Graduate, Samurai Rebellion, Boudu Saved from Drowning, & Knightriders
A few more movies that I've seen recently. A The Graduate (1967), FilmStruck I've seen this classic romantic comedy many times, but this recent viewing brought me new respect for the picture. The revolutionary staging and camerawork wasn't just art for art's sake; it sets the mood and heightens the characters. Consider the opening credits, with … Continue reading Movies I’ve Recently Seen: The Graduate, Samurai Rebellion, Boudu Saved from Drowning, & Knightriders
Barton Fink still strange and textured in new Blu-ray
The Coen brother's fourth film, and their first financed by a major Hollywood studio, may just be their weirdest. It's outrageous, surreal, occasionally gross, and at times screamingly funny. Much of the story is never explained. It's one of their best. That Barton Fink is the Coen's first Hollywood film seems appropriate, because the movie … Continue reading Barton Fink still strange and textured in new Blu-ray
Unhappy marriages: Thursday night at the Jewish Film Festival
Thursday night, I caught two movies at the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival. One was very good. One was very bad. No filmmakers attended their films at the Albany Twin that night. That's normal after the Festival moves from San Francisco to the East Bay. A- Personal Affairs This surprisingly sad comedy looks at a quietly dysfunctional … Continue reading Unhappy marriages: Thursday night at the Jewish Film Festival
Brigsby Bear: Art for good and art from evil
A- Fish out of water comedy Written by Kevin Costello and Kyle Mooney Directed by Dave McCary If you're looking for a laugh-a-minute comedy, Brigsby Bear shouldn't be your first choice. But if you want a good (if not entirely believable) story about parenting and the nature of art - along with a few giggles … Continue reading Brigsby Bear: Art for good and art from evil
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