Julesbro77 Reviews

Tár (2022)

this is not just a great movie

[27 April 2024]

"Tár" is a very intelligent film featuring an outstanding main character portrayed masterfully by Cate Blanchett. It unfolds slowly, almost documentary-like at times, while at other moments, it transitions into a thriller reminiscent of Kubrick and Tarkovsky. In this era where people prioritize their identity above all else, "Tár" exposes the deviation of what was once a just movement to address and uncover racism, patriarchy, and power abuses.

The film places a woman conductor at its center to deflect easy attacks on men and instead focus on power struggles within the art world (though it could apply elsewhere). Tár may be considered a "predator," but she is also an incredibly rare, passionate, and dedicated artist. So, how should we judge her? The film doesn't explicitly depict her alleged sexual encounters; instead, it allows viewers to imagine them and emphasizes the consequences on Tár and her environment.

The film doesn't aim to condemn Tár, and neither do I. I believe that both parties involved in a transactional relationship bear responsibility for the outcome, even if one is younger and less powerful than the other. They both seek something from each other, whether it's love, sex, money, or success, and their interactions can range from pleasant to unpleasant.

We don't see the perspective of the victim in the relationship (perhaps both are victims in the end), which would be important to consider. However, we do witness Tár experiencing a moment of conscience regarding how her power can coerce others into actions they don't want to take. It's subtle because I think she doesn't think of herself as a predator so this has to be right on her face.

The ending, without giving away spoilers, genuinely left me speechless, as it invites multiple interpretations. Yet, I'm not sure if any interpretation is definitively correct, and I've noticed that other viewers are just as puzzled as I am.

Casanova's Return (2023)

Painful and Beautiful truths

[3 April 2023]

This is movie can be understood better by people over 60 years old. There are two narrative levels that intertwine and both pay homage to Federico Fellini. In the reality, Toni Servillo plays a director in crisis and full of doubts (shot in black and white just like Fellini's 81/2) who doesn't know how to finish editing the film version of Arthur Schnitzler's Return of Casanova played by a feminine Fabrizio Bentivoglio. In the fiction in which the director's life is reflected (this narrative level is in color like Fellini's Casanova) Casanova is going back to Venice and he has one last love affair. The director (Servillo) falls in love with Silvia, a seductive peasant girl he meets during filming, played by Sara Serraiocco.

Falling in love on the set happens often to many filmmakers and actors, but it takes on a particular color when you are a sixty-year-old director (or 70 or 80) looking for a last remnant of life and vitality as both the director and Casanova say.

Both find a moment of love, with a trick or charm. The director's affair also works because the girl doesn't reject the advances of the "old man", but rather falls in love with him so much that she gets pregnant with him. But he is too used to his solitude in his uselessly technological home to come out of his shell and change his life, so they break up.

The film that he edits after many difficulties will find its way and will go to the Venice Film Festival. At the bar the actor and director confess their passions for each other and movie making, then the director is left alone and while he is looking for Silvia, he finds her there, in the sea of the Lido and perhaps now that the film is over they will still be able to see a future together, even if as he said, when their son will be 7 years old he will be 70.

The film slips into some awkwardness and smudges, but has a sincere background and tells profound, painful and beautiful truths.

Chiara (2022)

Path to sainthood

[2 March 2023]

"Chiara" is a thought-provoking and emotionally engaging film directed by Susanna Nicchiarelli. The movie tells the story of a young woman named Chiara, who is embracing poverty following in her own way St. Francis footsteps.

The film capture the simple and stunning beauty of the architecture and the climate of 13th century . The cinematography is both atmospheric and evocative, creating a sense of intimacy and emotional depth that draws the viewer into Chiara's world and is obviously derived from Pasolini film aestethics.

The performances in the film are superb, particularly the lead actress, Margherita Mazzucco who delivers a nuanced and powerful portrayal of Chiara. Mazzucco's performance is raw and emotionally authentic, capturing Chiara's pain and strength that feels as she struggles to come to terms with her ambition to be a pure Christ follower.

Nicchiarelli's direction is sensitive and insightful, providing a nuanced and thoughtful exploration of a world that seem distant from modern sensitivity but it's actually closer that we think to our young people. The young actors (Mazzucco and Carpenzano and others) as well as the older sisters are in tune with the spirit of the film and create a raw portrait of power and value system of the time. With this wilm Nicchiarelli explore the many ways to be a woman over the centuries (Miss Marx, Nico) and she handle the theme, with a delicate and personal touch, never becoming overly religious, but at the same time going down to the core of aspiring to spiritual perfection.

Overall, "Chiara" is a moving and thought-provoking film that explores the complex world of a spiritual endeavour with a contemporary eye. With its powerful performances, beautiful cinematography, and insightful direction, it is a must-see for anyone interested in true and joyful spiritual search.

Elvis (2022)

Amazing Movie

[5 September 2022]

This movie is a Baz Luhrmann film and you can see his hand every shot. Sometime you may think "too much" but I was really fascinated by his masterly hand in pulling out a bio pic that is true and original. Baz Luhrmann's glamourous cinematography it's one of his trademark but here it's used very well in to tell Elvis's story and it's perfectly adjusted.

There are people who felt distracted by Luhrmann drecting style and by the fast paced narration. It's true, I was overwhelmed at times, but I also felt it was used to have an insight of the characters. Tom Hanks (Colonel Tom Parker ) and Austin Butler (Elvis) were simply amazing ans brought so much to their roles .

Elvis it's not another musician biopic, it really stands out as the portrait of a tragic realtionship.

Taxi Driver (1976)

an urban classic

[5 September 2022]

Travis Bickle is the perfect anti hero of our time. Even if the film is several decades old it perfectly capture the malaise of the modern American urban man. From Taxi Driver to Joker there is a red line of individual madness that is provoked by our society that leaves the losers behind and become aware that they exist only when they freak out and kill someone. Martin Scorsese with an (almost) perfect script, with an amazing actor like Robert DeNiro, that seems to have nothing to lose and gives his best, pulls out an amazing representation of our time. The loneliness that we all face can be filled only by the love of our family or of an innocent creature, but it's very rare to find. Most likely we have to count only on our own force to deal with the pressure of society, trying to figure out what's right or wrong.

The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

a great classic

[11 April 2022]

This is a film that can be studied in film school as it's built with originality and classic narrative structure.

It's film that everyone may like as it dig in the quest for liberty and dignity that we all look for.

The Invisible Thread (2022)

Imperfect, but human and therefore likable

[18 March 2022]

I totally disagree with whoever wrote that this movie does not serve gay couples. Thousands of heterosexual and homosexual people have written about how they identified with this film. The protagonists with all their flaws and mistakes are as human and imperfect as everyone else. The comment seems really obtuse to me because whoever wrote it did not understand that the meaning of the film is to celebrate the right to exist of this type of families starting from their failure. You don't have to be perfect to be accepted! And yes, many of the filmmakers in this movie are openly gay and lgbt + rights activists.

America Latina (2021)

A waste of talent

[19 January 2022]

There are many good talents in this film: the lead actor Elio Germano among the best, if not the best Italian actor, the photography of Paolo Carnera (great imagery) and also the take that the D'Innocenzo brothers have on this story.

The film starts well, as a good old thriller, with an interesting set up but after the first act it the story gets lost in self indulgent beautiful images that don't push the story forward nor give us an insight of the turmoil of the lead character. It's a pity and a waste of talent because of a convoluted script. I've loved D'innocenzo's first film, but this and the previous one confirm both their talent and the lack of a good fertilizer to make it grow.

Tuttinsieme (2020)

a film poem about a family

[10 June 2020]

Apart from the poignant poetry that shines through every image, this documentary is an extraordinary testimony of courage and benevolence for the whole world. It is nice to know that in a ferocious and sick age like the one we live in, there are those who act with the simple and indisputable power of love to make humanity better and accompany it to a higher level of awareness and freedom. It is nice to know that in a ferocious and sick age like the one we live in, there are those who act with the simple and indisputable power of love to make humanity better and accompany it to a higher level of awareness and freedom.