Hello European Cinema board. Please feel free to post on this thread about any movies, documentaries, animations, short subject films (etc.) that you've been watching. It would be great to hear everyone's thoughts.
Thanks.
Hi Petro,I hope you month has kick off well,and I wrapped up Feb by watching my 4th Sergio Martino film:
Mozart Is A Murderer.8/10
Stuck with a pretty small budget,director Sergio Martino & cinematographer Bruno Cascio are sadly unable to brighten up the low resolution digital video format,which gives the title a grainy flatness which stops the murder set pieces from sparkling across the screen.Despite being placed on a flat landscape,Martino and Cascio stab the Giallo with bursts of stylisation,as a mysterious strangers elegant killings lead to Commissario Antonio Maccari fearing that his Film Noir past has returned.
Composing the mystery in a music school,the screenplay by Martino & Contaldo wonderfully blends playful Slasher teens with dour Film Noir.Unlocking the risqué activates of the school,the writers stick to a surprisingly accurate code of conduct for the cops and psychologist trying to unmask the killer. Peeling open the tragedy of Maccari's past,the writers make Maccari a rogue Film Noir loner who has to locate gaps in the rulebooks in order to stop the killer from unleashing a Giallo score.
Hi morrison. Hope you're enjoying the weekend.
I'm a fan of Sergio Martino who did some great work in the 1970s. I've not seen this late addition to his impressive ouvre. Thanks very much for the review.
Hi Petro,I hope you are having a good weekend,and that with the film being on iPlayer until Sunday at 2am,I finally watched the far better than expected Secrets In Their Eyes (2009):
8/10
Switching between the 70's and late 90's,co-writer/(along with Eduardo Sacheri) editor/director Juan José Campanella fogs Esposito memories with crumbling yellows and greens,which along with stylishly revealing the fading clarity of memory,also dipping the title into grime covered Film Noir,where the curling wallpaper is being pasted with decay.Shining light over the clear memories of Esposito & Hastings in the present, Campanella & cinematographer Félix Monti pull open the corruption and identity of the killer with crystallised vision,from a dazzling tracking shot (which took 9 days to shoot!) locating the murderer,to murky,tightly held low-lit shots exposing the Film Noir world being soaked with corruption.
Taking place just as the 1974-1983 Process of National Reorganization/"Social Cleansing" began (which led an est 7000- 30,000 people being killed)the screenplay by Campanella and Sacheri brilliantly cast shadows of fear and dread across the film,as Esposito, Hastings and Morales find themselves in a stark Neo-Noir landscape,where double-dealing cops and death squads try to keep their dealings underground.Based on Sacheri's pulp novel,the writers thread the horrific history of Argentina with a thrilling Film Noir atmosphere,which spills across the title as Esposito makes a pledge to catch the killer.Keeping the mystery bubbling away,the writers place each piece of the mystery down with coiled tension,which is gradually released in order to unveil deliciously macabre eyes.
Standing firm over the passage of time,the elegant Soledad Villamil gives a graceful performance as Hastings,with Villamil keeping Hastings level-headed whilst playfully developing a closeness with Esposito.Taking a close look at all the clues, Ricardo Darín gives a superb performance as Esposito,thanks to Darín digging into the thought process of Esposito looks for the secret in their eyes.
Weekend's not too shabby, morrison. I'm having a great deal of fun.
'The Secret In Their Eyes' sounds like a super movie (very high imdb user rating too!). Thanks for bringing it to our attention. Looks like a Hollywood remake might be on the cards.
Czech film directed by Věra Chytilová. Dědictví aneb Kurvahošigutntag AKA, The Inheritance or *beep* (1992).
A hilarious satirical comedy film, a cult classic in its homeland. The setting is a transitional time for the Czech Republic and people. Nostalgia for the humane aspects of the old guard confront the realities in the “new age” of ruthless capitalism, where people have been commoditized and everything relies on money.... 8/10
Hi Petro,with Mozart I was actually caught by surprise due to finding Martino to be hit & miss.I was also wondering about what your top Martino movies are?,with mine being:
1:Strange Vice-
The first Martino film which really clicked with me,thanks to Martino mixing startling moments of style (such as the eye-catching dreams) with a gripping twisting & turning Giallo plot.
2:Mozart.
3:Torso
Whilst the film gets stuck with a Giallo mystery that is far too dry,Martino gets into the swing of things with an enjoyable final 30 min run,and also making Tina Aumont and Suzy Kendall look dazzling.
Thanks.
Hi morrison. I like both those Martino gialli from the '70s that you mention, and 'All The Colors Of The Dark' (1972) is interesting too. But 'Torso' is my favourite of his movies I've seen.
I've not seen 'The Case Of The Scorpion's Tail' (1971) or 'Your Vice Is A Locked Room And Only I Have the Key' (1972), both of which are highly regarded among horror fans.