noodles-13 Reviews

The Dark Knight (2008)

One scene may tell it all

[9/10 · 21 August 2008]

A lot of users have given (and will give) a general comment to this movie. I would then focus on a scene that particularly hit me and that may be considered the perfect example that shows how far this great movie stands from the usual bang!-and-pow! superhero flicks. Stop here if you haven't seen it yet - well you should already now since there is a warning over here... Two ships with explosive charges and each detonator is in the hands of the crew of the other ship. The Joker offers them a choice: the first who presses the button will survive. Incidentally, by killing all the people on the other vessel. One ship is full of prisoners of the Gotham City Jail, the other is full of common (and supposedly honest and decent) people. In both ships the detonators are in the hands of the "constituted power" (i.e. the Police). In the "good ship" the power cannot handle the responsibility and let the people vote. The common people vote in favor of the slaughter (so long to any principle of respect of human life, whatsoever human life). In the "bad ship" the power cannot face a probable rebellion of the scum and let the prisoners take over the situation (i.e. the detonator). Time is running out. A decision shall be taken. Considered the development of the movie so far, I expected another piece of tragedy to be added. But. Here comes the extremely subtle work of the writers. The prisoner in the bad ship takes the detonator and throws it in the water. In the "good ship", after the vote, one man declares to be willing to press the button if no one else does, takes the detonator but cannot eventually complete the task, sits back and waits. The Power cannot face its responsibilities, voting may not be the solution, civilized and decent people may consider murder as an option, lifers do the unexpected. To me, much more scary than the Joker's smile.

Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

A legal movie for the ages

[9/10 · 14 July 2008]

To all script writers, directors planning to set up a project of a legal court-hearing thriller, stop wasting time: "the" legal court-hearing thriller has already been shot by a genius known as Billy Wilder. I don't know if such a category exists or is recognized, however I would consider a court-hearing thriller a movie whose main scenes and events take place in hearings before a criminal court. In this meaning, I would not consider "The verdict" but probably would consider "12 angry men". But, as usual with Billy Wilder, this movie is a lot more. A monumental (in any sense of the word) Charles Laughton. A surprising Marlene Dietrich, who also plays a sort of ironic parody of her past in Germany and her past role as the Blue Angel. A convincing Tyrone Power, whose role will leave you with big surprises. Super-witty dialogs and tons of bitter irony over the rituals of justice, that cannot do much to help the truth come to surface. Another big hit to the bull's eye for one of the best directors of all times. 9/10 just because I never rate 10 a movie I have only seen once. Can't wait to see it again to give it the ten it deserves.

Noi duri (1960)

A parody full of Fred's music

[7/10 · 3 June 2008]

A classic parody of gangster movies played by the most famous and beloved Italian musician and entertainer of his days, Fred Buscaglione, who brought easy listening jazz to Italian audience since the 50es, embodying in his songs (and his way of life too) the "tough guy" made famous by the hard boiled flicks of the 40es, that were so popular in Italy after World War II. The plot is rather simple. An FBI agent (Fred Buscaglione) infiltrates the gang of the drug-dealer Algerino (played by Totò, always a delight to see), who runs his criminal business in a night club. The G-man cover identity is Fred Bombardone, the leader of a jazz band made of police cops (all played by Fred's band "Asternovas" except the guitarist, the famous Italian comedian Paolo Panelli). The rest is typical of Fred's songs, night clubs full of smoke, gorgeous girls and good music. A must see for all Fred Buscaglione fans. Rated 7/10.

Flags of Our Fathers (2006)

A great movie, a bit confusing maybe.

[8/10 · 28 May 2008]

I saw the movie on TV and liked it a lot. TO be honest, I am a huge Clint fan, no matter if actor or director, or both at the same time. Given this, I found the photography great (with the use of a rather dark and "dusty" light) and the first battle scene rivals "Private Ryan" (does it have anything to do with the fact that Steven Spielberg is one of the producers?). The non-rhetoric tone chosen for the story is Eastwood's true landmark (see also "A perfect world") and I found extremely touchy and delicate the scene where "Doc" finds the corpse of his mate Iggy brutally tortured, he lights up an electric torch but all we see is his own face looking at the dead man, not the corpse. I bet that 99% of other directors would have shot a close-up of the dead. The scene as it is stresses even more the sense of brutality and sadness of the circumstance, whilst respecting the audience and avoiding to spectacularize death. Unfortunately, I found it rather difficult to follow the script with so many flashbacks and, to some extent, I found the movie development a bit chaotic. Nevertheless, another big hit from my actual favorite director. 8/10.

I sogni muoiono all'alba (1961)

A lonely voice in a crowd of lies

[8/10 · 25 June 2007]

A somehow forgotten tragedy in European history, the Hungarian revolution of 1956 was the first case of a country subject to communist dictatorship to get rid of their oppressors and return to freedom. Indro Montanelli, one of the most important and known Italian journalists, had been the only Italian (and maybe European) war reporter to truly report what was going on in Budapest in those days of October/November 1956, while basically all the Italian press (led or influenced by the communist party and its Stalinist leader Palmiro Togliatti) defamed the revolution as a "fascist counter-revolution". The movie is the only involvement of Montanelli in flicks industry and comes from its drama written for the theaters (not taking into account Rosselini's "Il Generale Della Rovere", based on a novel by Montanelli and rejected by the author as unfaithful to the book). It is a kammerspiel where the conflict of characters reveals the ideological conflict going on in the Italian political and intellectual environment. Five reporters of different political ideas, some of them former partisans in World War II in Italy, are closed in a hotel in Budapest. One of them (the younger, played by Renzo Montagnani) falls in love with a Hungarian partisan (a wonderful Lea Massari) and will join the last resistance of the city against the Soviet tanks. One is a communist with relationships with the Soviet diplomatics who are negotiating with the Hungarians, a negotiation that will suddenly turn into an ambush (with the Hungarian negotiators arrested and convicted in Romania, all of them shot about one year after). One is an important reporter and one is a broke fellow looking for the last chance. One is an old and respected director who is looking for an "accident" in order to let his family cash his life insurance. The theatric origin is clear and the action is all outside the hotel room where the characters talk, discuss, argue and finally become aware of (and to some extent take part to) the tragedy of the Soviet invasion that ended the revolution with a bloodbath. While maybe not outstanding as a movie, it remains an important, or probably unique, testimony of the Hungarian revolution.

Dagli archivi della polizia criminale (1973)

Stay away,,,

[1/10 · 5 June 2007]

An incredible spy story set in Tunis but actually shot in Rome and the surroundings. It has no meaning and no script. The actors are simply ridiculous and seem to be on the set by chance. I can hardly write about playing, since nobody seemed to play, they just stared at the camera and spoke. An ultra-low budget movie, so silly yet not funny. I recorded it on TV (very late at night or early in the morning) because I am a fan of Italian police movies of the 70es and I never heard of this title: there were good reasons for that. Anyway, this movie has nothing to do with that genre. Stay away from this movie. Please, do not lose your time. Rated 1 zero is not available).

In Good Company (2004)

Simply pointless

[5/10 · 4 June 2007]

What is this movie about, after all? Is it about the though and rough fight for survival in the turbocapitalism era (which happens to have come to an end long before this movie's realization in 2004)? Or is it just a romantic comedy of the late fifties made up to fit the actual taste of the audience? Frankly, I do not know. What I know is that this movie asks some questions and always gives the easiest answers without any dramatic tension. The relationship between Quaid and Grace easily becomes a father-to-son mechanism, but without any reason. The merry family fits a scheme, as well as all the contradictions between the old fashioned guys (who are all nice and gentle) and the new guys (who are all late 80's bloodsucking yuppies). The somehow happy ending says it all. Rated 5

Two Mules for Sister Sara (1970)

An odd couple in a western movie

[7/10 · 3 April 2007]

This movie has been done due to a request of Clint Eastwood, who wanted a more brilliant role in order to show his acting capabilities, after his well known action and spaghetti western movies. He teamed up with a director of his trust, Don Siegel, who is not known for his skills in directing comedies. Further, Clint and Shirley MacLaine apparently did not match. So what came out of their effort? An "odd couple" movie that mixes action, war, western, comedy and some romance. Siegel is comfortable with action and you can see it when action comes to the screen. The rest does not really work. The script is not so funny, the different parts do not make a movie. Moreover, the western part is a quote from Sergio Leone, with its mix of venturers, Mexican revolution, etc. Anyway, I rated it 7 because I love Clint Eastwood and he is good in his role.

The Heroes of Telemark (1965)

A war movie like too many others

[5/10 · 23 March 2007]

This movie's only reason of interest is the unusual location (a Norwegian fjord). The rest is a sum of clichés and a story that simplifies all the passages. The factory is depicted as unreachable, but eventually 9 men not particularly trained are able to reach and damage it. The main character played by Kirk Douglas is a physics professor who (with no apparent reason) can also be a parachuter and a saboteur, and a rather good one. Rated 5 (only for the good acting of Douglas and Harris and the beautiful shooting of the external locations). The final scene is even less realistic than the rest of the movie.

Harper (1966)

A blue eyed ragged Marlowe

[8/10 · 15 March 2007]

Typical, yet interesting, detective movie, "Harper" gives full room to Paul Newman for an interpretation that has probably set a model for Elliot Gould in "The long good-bye".

A ragged private eye gets involved in a complicated story where power, money and crime are tied one to each other. While the plot is a rather clear homage to "The big sleep", the action takes place in the late sixties and pays a little tribute to the era's clichés with the characters of "yeye girl" (played by Pamela Tiffin) and of the Californian alternative guru.

The wonderful and well exploited supporting cast makes this movie very interesting to see and a "must see" for all fans of Paul Newman and for all fans of the hard-boiled genre (with me belonging to both categories). Rated 8.

The Jigsaw Man (1983)

Boring routine movie

[4/10 · 27 February 2007]

Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier are involved in this routine movie (probably rent was due and the fellows were late on payment) which is completely useless. A former British spy who betrayed his own country is sent back from Russia on a mission. But suddenly (well, not so suddenly) the story twists to an unexpected (well, not so unexpected) ending. No actor seems to be interested in what is happening and the Italian dub (above all Olivier) is rather poor. The plot makes little sense and . If you look for a spy movie with Michael Caine, watch "The Ipcress File" or "The fourth protocol",instead. They would be a very much better choice.

The Jigsaw Man (1983)

Boring routine movie

[4/10 · 27 February 2007]

Michael Caine and Sir Laurence Olivier are involved in this routine movie (probably rent was due and the fellows were late on payment) which is completely useless. A former British spy who betrayed his own country is sent back from Russia on a mission. But suddenly (well, not so suddenly) the story twists to an unexpected (well, not so unexpected) ending. No actor seems to be interested in what is happening and the Italian dub (above all Olivier) is rather poor. The plot makes little sense and . If you look for a spy movie with Michael Caine, watch "The Ipcress File" or "The fourth protocol",instead. They would be a very much better choice.

Hannibal Rising (2007)

No need for this movie

[3/10 · 12 February 2007]

Presented as a prequel of the well known "Manhunter" and "The silence of the lambs", this movie pays apparently no care for verisimilitude. Lecter - we learn - is a victim of brutal violence suffered when he was 8 years old. He survives bombing, war criminals, a Soviet orphanage, a travel from USSR to France in the 50es (with also a jump through the Berlin Wall), where he finds a beautiful Japanese (!) aunt (Gong Li). He already speaks a perfect French and is able to study medicine without apparently having had any education (in the orphanage scenes he cannot even speak due to the war trauma). Since he is Lithuanian, he probably could speak German (very common in those countries before WW2). Weird enough, the Japanese aunt is a survivor of the Hiroshima nuclear bombing and she is a sort of Super Geisha Samurai who can fight under the ancient rules of Kendo (something a woman of the 40es or 50es could not even dream to do in Japan). Lecter himself shows to be able to cut a man's head off in one single hit of sword, in a scene so silly that I could not keep from laughing. In the end, this movie is simply an example of commercial exploitation of a once good idea, just like "Red Dragon" (a completely useless remake of the masterpiece "Manhunter" by Michael Mann) and "Hannibal". Stick to the original ones and let this movies out of your "to see" list.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

So script and logic are no more issues in film-making

[3/10 · 29 August 2006]

Slevin sets a new landmark in tasteless film-making, being a foolish mix of tones and genres which actually leads nowhere. Within the frame of a tragic bloody revenge, the movies gives us a pointless love story, ultraviolent pulpfiction-like gangsters, corrupted cops, an ironic international killer who is eventually discovered to be happy at playing the father figure. The story starts as a tragedy, the climax scene (which is not the real end, of course: plenty of endings in this movie) ends it as a tragedy. In the middle we have all the above and maybe more, without a choice of style and taste. I rated it 3, but it is hard to rate a movie which is completely wrong.

The Hurricane (1999)

Great acting in an under-average movie

[5/10 · 17 August 2006]

I had great expectations for this movie, which eventually have been disappointed. A lot of fictitious characters have been added for no apparent reason. The evil and racist policeman (Della Pesca) who prosecutes Carter even since he was a 6 years old child is one of the most silly and useless (if not detrimental) characters I ever saw in a "based on a true story" movie. The three good Canadian Samaritans literally come from nowhere and the script should give us some ideas about them. Apparently, they succeed, as amateur detectives/lawyers, where dozens of others had failed, just because they are guided by peace love and unity. The scene in the isolation cell-block, where three different "Hurricanes" deal one with each other to symbolize the different sides of the character's personality is a mere clichè and, frankly, the similar scene involving Gollum in the Ring's saga had a more realistic touch (enough said, I guess). What remains, in the end: an outstanding performance of Denzel Washington, whose personal involvement in the project can be clearly perceived in his acting. Not enough to me, unfortunately. For a "boxe&prison" movie, one could find a lot more intensity and truth in Walter Hill's "Undisputed".

The Gauntlet (1977)

Two (losers) is a couple

[7/10 · 22 May 2002]

This is of course a minor outcome in Clint Eastwood's career as a director. Though, it should be seen because it is a good example of his view on life and his fine touch when dealing with minor heroes, bound to lose but still trying hard to get to the goal. Violence is absolutely unreal and paradoxal, as well as the silly gunfires (which tear down a house, for instance). A lot of "dirty" cops were impersonated by Clint Eastwood during his careers, but Shockley is one of the favorites, because its contradictions (violent and funny, desperate and willing to have a better life, though and ironic) make the character the best thing of this movie (rated 7).

G.I. Jane (1997)

Beyond good and evil

[1/10 · 20 November 2001]

One of the worst movies I have ever seen. Surely,the worst war-military movie. It is very difficult to have an opinion about a movie that appears to be completely void, really beyond nice and ugly, good and evil. Everything is conventional, the plot (if any) is as interesting as a porn movie plot (and the story might be porn-some as well: one sole girl in a military base). Embarrassing acting completes the disaster, not to mention the famous "suck my @@@@", which seems to be the distinctive note of the movie. It is probably what any spectator said while leaving the theater.

Luckily, I watched it on tv for free. Needless to say, rated 1 (zero is not available).

The Taste of Others (2000)

Thin line between happiness and solitude

[8/10 · 6 March 2001]

Let other users tell the story of this little, yet surprisingly success-growing movie. The title might say it all: every character tries to please someone else, in other words, tries to meet the taste of the others. Sadly, it seems a very difficult result to accomplish, since the fate of everyone is bound to solitude and misunderstanding. There seems to be one exception to the rule: surprisingly, it is the character that, for all the movie long, has been treated like the most foolish and disgusting (Castella). The end does not tell, we don't know whether he and his beloved, funny and complicated actress will meet. At least, he tried to change its life and, whilst trying to get closer to her (pretending to love art and theater), he discovers something deeper and true about himself. In this respect, a happy end would have been completely inconsistent with the movie and would not have added anything to the depiction of the characters. People get close only to lose each other, the director seems to say. The driver's girl will not come back from America, the barmaid and the former policeman are not corageous enough to make the first step. A fine written movie as it is rare to see these days (8/10).

Hang 'Em High (1968)

Seeking Vengeance by the law

[8/10 · 4 December 2000]

A rather unusual western movie for its period, with interesting ideas on the practice of justice and death punishment, not consistent with the myth of the frontier as always portraited in such kind of cinema. Even though Eastwood only appears as an actor, a good preview of what was about to happen in his career as a director, with The outlaw Josey Wales and, above all, The unforgiven. Rated 7.

The Untouchables (1987)

Overrated and false as it can be

[6/10 · 26 November 1999]

The first time I saw this movie I felt a bit confused. It was all perfect, like a big present under the xmas tree, with the snow outside the window and a xmas carol on the background. But when I attempted to look inside the box, it was empty. This movie is definitely a lie, a well-built, very well told lie. And please, can anyone tell me when (or in which planet)policemen started wearing Armani? De Niro at its worst, always exaggerating his playing, and Costner in his favourite role: the average man who saves of the universe. If looking for a gangster movie, please refer to Once upon a time in America, save time and (if you are renting the movie) even money.

The Matrix (1999)

A lot of running but the blade is not that sharp

[7/10 · 26 August 1999]

I must admit that Matrix is very amazing as a show of pure images. A lot of fx make this movie really impressive. But the basic idea (what you see is not true) is not so new. Even the idea of a bunch of freedom-seeking hackers has been often used in cyberpunk literature. The biggest limit of Matrix is the lack of courage: whenever the directors are about to cross the line of a scifi movie to enter the world of big cinema, they choose the easier way (gunfights, a bit of Bruce Lee 20 years after). And one last thing, the guy resurrected by the princess' kiss: so miserable... They tried to turn an average story into a new Blade Runner, but I'm afraid it turned out as a Luxury edition of Johnny Mnemonic. Rated 7 (to me) but Matrix does not go beyond the limit of a genre movie.

The Fifth Element (1997)

plastic plastic everywhere...

[2/10 · 5 June 1999]

Plastic plastic everywhere. Why most of the people working at a SF movie has such a miserable opinion of SF fans? This is one of the silliest movies I have ever seen: the story is poor, no ideas, bad acting. Besson has forgotten the courage shown in Subway (even Lambert seemed an actor...) and steers boldly towards the Land of 1000 Colours, Lights, Magic (and a lot of Industrial interests too, if you see what I mean). And a pretty face does NOT make an actress. And why did the great Gary Oldman get trapped in such a mess? Even a stupid "new-age-like" ending. I rated this foolish film 3, and now, please, help me find my Blade Runner vhs.

Gli anni ruggenti (1962)

The tragic comedy of Italian Fascism exposed

[7/10 · 23 November 1998]

The satire of Fascism that this movie offers isn't probably the

most corrumpsive, while it shows a bunch of greedy little people. Anyway, the story chooses to look at the ridiculous side of the dictatorship. The town authorities are depicted as small, foolish corrupted dabblers. They quickly flatter the anonymous broker, then they quickly turn him out of town when they discover his identity. The idea of the plot is that Fascism and all the fascist boasts are only (tragic) rethoric: the poor people remain poor, problems are farther than ever from solution, the local influent men are the same as before Mussolini's takeover. In a word: nothing ever changes, if not to worse. The key-scene is the arrival of the real inspector. He drops his incognito down immediately, because "incognito would be an insult to the brave comrades of the province", of course he's willing to use his influence to take part in the local corruption. A special mention for Salvo Randone, one of the best Italian theatre actors, who plays the role of the anti-fascist former director of the local hospital.