1900

Also known as: Novecento
Genre: social epic
With: Robert De Niro, Dominique Sanda, Gérard Depardieu
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Release: 1976
Studio: Artistes Associés, Produzioni Europee Associates, Artemis Film
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.4/10


QuickView


Story-line: while focusing on Alfredo and Olmo, two men born in 1900 on opposite sides of the social divide, this sprawling film depicts nearly 50 years on an Italian farm where owners and peasant workers struggle together, clash often and witness some of the 20th century’s most important events.
Pluses: a formidable cast including Burt Lancaster and Donald Sutherland (as a demented foreman), expert direction, a sweeping narrative.
Minuses: the movie’s two versions are decidedly long (4 and 5 hours) but, as incredible as it may seem, they remain interesting throughout. Some scenes may be difficult to stomach because of their shock value.
Comments: 1900 is a monumental work by one of the world’s most reputable directors and also a fine product of Italian cinema. A worthwhile watch for movie buffs!


MBiS

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Feux rouges

English title: Red Lights
Genre: thriller
Director: Cédric Kahn
Release: 2004
Studio: France 3 Cinéma, Centre National du Cinéma, Banque Populaire Images 4, Cofimages, Alicéleo, Gimages, Gimages 6, Wellspring Media
Rating: -
MBiS score: 8.3/10


I’m Always Nervous When You Drive


On this last day before the summer holidays, pandemonium has spread throughout Paris but Antoine (Jean-Pierre Darroussin), an insurance man, savours the moment with contrasting serenity. This year, he has set himself up to enjoy his precious time off and, as he emails his wife Hélène (Carole Bouquet) before leaving the office, his mood is almost poetic. ‘I feel like a man in love going on his first date, he writes to his better half, and I’m happy we’ll join the children and visit your parents.’ Sounds like a great vacation… but don’t bet on it. Merely three hours later, as Antoine takes to the road with his belle Hélène, he seems aggravated, even impatient, and the couple’s carefree drive down south turns into a battle of wills. With Carline Paul, Jean-Pierre Gos and Vincent Deniard. Music by Arvo Pärt.

FEUX ROUGES wastes no time in making a mundane premise look odd and even unsettling. Its stunning opening theme by Claude Debussy and a few shots of futuristic high-rises put you on notice that something unusual – and indeed remarkable – is in the offing. Hélène didn’t see it coming but minor annoyances have irritated her hubby. The ensuing spat gets ugly as quarrels often do… but to see it become a chilling, small-scale thriller is a feat we can only attribute to Georges Simenon, the novelist behind the famous Maigret series, and director Cédric Kahn, who expertly adapted his story for the big screen.

There are few characters in FEUX ROUGES and, frankly, there was no need for more. Jean-Pierre Darroussin does a bang-up job as Antoine, a basically agreeable fellow who blows a fuse and allows himself to vent his pent-up emotions (for reasons I shan’t disclose). In this regard, the movie’s story-line makes excellent use of the humongous traffic jams that clog up the French capital every year at vacation time. Carole Bouquet, as usual, doesn’t content herself with playing a pretty face; her Hélène is a strong, intelligent woman who won’t stand for churlishness. Whether together or apart, these two actors deserve your undivided attention.

Polished dialogues, a competent supporting cast and a cunning screenplay will do the rest. Technicals don’t disappoint either, cinematography especially. My only concern about FEUX ROUGES − and a legitimate one since thrillers sometimes veer off atrociously after a solid start − was its staying power. For the record, let’s just say that Kahn’s film grips the pavement like trusty Michelins and that, no matter how finicky you are about plot lines, you will be fully satisfied with what you see. Some elements of the story may be left unexplained but you’ll find answers for every twist and turn.

I won’t say more and, honestly, I don’t need to. Don’t miss FEUX ROUGES, a superb little feature about the fickleness of human nature, life’s many surprises and a very unusual case of road rage. And if one day you find yourself in a car with a driver who’s hot under the collar, don’t argue.


MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Glass Menagerie (The)

Genre: family drama
With: Joanne Woodward, Karen Allen, John Malkovich
Director: Paul Newman
Release: 1987
Studio: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, Aspetuck Productions Ltd – Cineplex Odeon Films, Sony Pictures Releasing International (SPRI)
Rating: PG
MBiS score: 8.4/10


QuickView


Story-line: in St. Louis, during the Depression, the tenuous relationship between an overbearing mother (Amanda), her restless son bent on adventure (Tom) and her hapless and slightly handicapped daughter (Laura) reaches a breaking point.
Pluses: splendid acting, a moving story by Tennessee Williams, respectful direction by Paul Newman.
Minuses: none whatsoever.
Comments: though fundamentally a stage play, THE GLASS MENAGERIE works admirably on the big screen and stands as a fine character study. Don’t miss this heartbreaking film, if only to meet Laura and learn of her real predicament: ‘Mother's afraid I'm going to be an old maid.’


MBiS

© 2010 – All rights reserved

Reader (The)

Genre: psychological drama
Director: Stephen Daldry
Release: 2008
Studio: The Weinstein Company, Mirage Enterprises, Neunte Babelsberg Film GmbH – Miramax Films, The Weinstein Company
Rating: R
MBiS score: 8.3/10


The Sting of a First Love Too Powerful and Guilty


Berlin, 1958. As Hanna Schmitz (Kate Winslet) was washing the sidewalk in front of her building, she noticed a sick lad hovering about and urged him to come up to her apartment for immediate care. While they were together, the boy, one Michael Berg (David Kross), could plainly see that Hanna was not as privileged as he was and their 20-year age difference was clearly understood but the encounter, as brief as it was, left an impression that would prove impossible to quell. With Ralph Fiennes (Michael Berg as an adult), Karoline Herfurth (Marthe), Hannah Herzsprung (Julia), Bruno Ganz (Professor Rohl) and Lena Olin. Music by Nico Muhly.

From what I have told you thus far, THE READER may seem like a standard ‘young man meets mature woman’ love story born of mushy feelings and headed for predictable ruin but, in truth, it encompasses much more. Michael and Hanna’s rocky relationship will conjoin past, present and future as well as conscience, class and culture in ways they would never have suspected when they first set eyes on each other. At the very least, you should know that their chance meeting will open up large-scale issues in addition to personal ones and, in this regard, Stephen Daldry’s film can be likened to CACHÉ, another feature about private matters inescapably linked to the big picture of life.

Since THE READER tells its story from a literary angle and begins with a flash forward to 1995, it needs time to unfold, establish its main characters and shake off an obvious, all-too-perfect premise. Nevertheless, it quietly draws you in from the outset – like the first pages of a book usually hint at greater things to come – until it reaches that pivotal moment when Michael and Hanna each face moral issues as painful as they are intractable. All of this is handled expertly by director Daldry and writer David Hare, working from a novel by Bernhard Schlink. Acting-wise, Kate Winslet serves up a restrained and reasoned performance as Hanna, a moody and impatient woman to whom life offers little consolation aside from a young lover, while David Kross plays a bright, slightly rebellious Michael. Notice how these two characters, though different in personality and background, will react similarly to the tragedy that befalls them. Ralph Fiennes, as the older, colder Michael, shows his usual talent but spends much less time on screen than movie posters and studio publicity may indicate. The other actors on board, especially Bruno Ganz and Lena Olin, are also above reproach. I see no reason to complain about production values, cinematography or editing; visuals, in particular, are crisp and aesthetic.

Since books are so important to Michael, there is one scene in THE READER that I found very revealing and I hope it will strike you as well. It’s the one where a teacher theorizes that ‘The notion of secrecy is central to western literature’. With due respect, I can’t say that I agree entirely with him but THE READER certainly proves his point with eloquence and surprising emotional force. May you profit from this lesson in life and culture as much as I did.


MBiS

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