movie madness continues :)
Oct. 17th, 2010 02:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
floatingleafI went to see another film last night. Heartbreaking gay romance from Hong Kong, called Amphetamine. Mature rating, of course. There were maybe five to seven women in the audience, myself included. Somehow it didn't occur to me beforehand that this might be the case, because I know plenty of women who would think nothing of going to see a graphic gay movie. Except I know them through Teh Internetz, and they are scattered far and wide across the globe. Apparently, there aren't that many of them in Chicago.:D Anyway... it felt a little weird, but I'm glad I went. Even if I have issues with the film. But this, again, is a topic for another post. I want to keep my reviews in the order of importance, so to speak - and that means Loose Cannons go first.:)
So yeah, I still haven't decided if this film is better than His Secret Life (Le fate ignoranti). It might be, but I'm afraid I totally lack the capacity for objectivity about either one. There is simply too much awesomeness involved. They are similar, in many ways. Actually, all films by Ferzan Ozpetek are similar in many ways. He has a very distinctive style, with a number of recurring elements. There is usually a loving, committed gay couple (sometimes central to the story, sometimes not). Then there is a straight woman, who forms a very close, intense friendship (bordering on love) with one of the gay guys. There are often flashbacks to the youth of some older character as they were struggling with their own romantic trials and tribulations (which the younger characters are going through in the present tense). There is sometimes terminal illness and/or suicide. There is the constant dilemma of complete honesty/truth versus lies/deception in relationships (between lovers, friends, relatives etc.). No easy answers are ever provided, by the way. There is a strangely intoxicating mixture of crazy humor and bittersweet sadness that can move you to tears way before you're done laughing (or make you laugh out loud while still crying - it's all the same, anyway). There is gentle mockery - and complete understanding - of all the characters and their particular flaws (yes, even the homophobic ones usually get just a few exaggerated eyerolls, until some life-changing event makes them reconsider their stale beliefs). There is family - in all its many forms and definitions. Unlike His Secret Life, Loose Cannons focuses mostly on its traditional concept - a large, extended family in a small Italian town, famous for its pasta manufacturing business. The father, who runs the company, is about to retire and pass on the responsibility to his eldest son, Antonio. The younger son, Tommaso, is perfectly happy with the arrangement - he couldn't care less about pasta, he wants to pursue a writing career in Rome instead (where he'd been living for the past few years anyway, studying literature instead of business - as well as sharing his life with a male partner). In fact, he is planning on coming out to the entire family, in the hopes that his prejudiced father will kick him out of the house and release him from any obligations to the family business. He has it all thought out, down to the little speech he is going to make. There is only one little problem - his brother beats him to it.
The film is all about making fun of stereotypes - usually this type of story contains only one "prodigal son", who scandalizes the entire tribe. Here we have two. Who don't know about each other, by the way. Antonio has been very good at pretending to conform to everyone's expectations - but when he sees his brother all ready to be let off the hook and leave him alone to face the music (Tommaso confides in him the night before the planned coming out), something snaps and he decides he can't keep lying any longer. Which, obviously, leaves Tommaso in a pretty pickle (the father has a minor heart attack after Antonio's confession - not a good idea to give him another one right away, is it?...). All his parents' desperate hopes latch onto him after Antonio's crushing disappointment. He finds, however, unexpected moral support in the form of Alba - the young, gorgeous daughter of his father's business partner. The family wants to believe the two are dating - but Tommaso tells Alba all about his lover, Marco, and they form a deep bond of a different kind; he now has someone he can confide in, while she feels loved and appreciated as a person, not just a beautiful "prize" to be shown around the neighborhood (there are hints here and there in the film that this might be the way straight men perceive her, and the wistfulness in her eyes when she listens to Tommaso talk about Marco is heartbreaking). Then there is the unexpected visit by Marco and three other gay friends from Rome, who try (quite unsuccessfully, I might add) to pose as a bunch of straight buddies for Tommaso's benefit - immense hilarity ensues, aided by the profound cluelessness of most of Tommaso's family (the father happily tells the neighbors to "lock up their daughters" while his son's friends are in town, lol). There's no way to give verbal justice to the entire debacle - you HAVE to see it. There is also the dimwitted maid, Teresa, the permanently tipsy Auntie Luciana, who tends to lose her contact lenses, and the stoic grandmother who has seen it all (she is completely unfazed by either of her grandsons' revelations, looking on the unfolding events with a secret little smile). And a thousand other priceless details/moments I could spend all night writing about - but yeah... if anyone's still reading, I've spoiled you enough.:D If you get a chance to see this movie (region 2 DVD is available already - we might have to wait a bit for region 1, but I'm sure it will be released eventually), please do yourself a favor and see it. Even if you've never heard of Ferzan Ozpetek or seen any other of his films - this one's a must. And if you've seen Le fate ignoranti and been touched to the core of your being, like yours truly - be prepared for the same emotional intensity. The cast is different this time, though - I haven't noticed any familiar faces, except for some small, supporting roles. There is no Stefano Accorsi, no Margherita Buy and no Serra Yilmaz.:) Still, most of the actors leave a lasting impression. I was particularly enchanted by Nicole Grimaudo, who plays Alba - a stunning beauty with a lively, expressive face and large dark eyes. I hope Ferzan keeps her in mind for future projects.;)
Btw, I was checking out the trailer on IMDb while writing this post, and my laptop lost "display functionality" again. *sigh* Had to do an instant reboot. Thank the gods for the "autosaved draft" feature. Otherwise I would have just wasted half a night writing something no one (including myself) will ever get to read. Ah, the joys of technology. *headdesk*
What am I doing still awake at this hour, anyway? *blinks* I need to change location from the computer chair to the bed, pronto. My brain will shut down in about 30 seconds.:P
So yeah, I still haven't decided if this film is better than His Secret Life (Le fate ignoranti). It might be, but I'm afraid I totally lack the capacity for objectivity about either one. There is simply too much awesomeness involved. They are similar, in many ways. Actually, all films by Ferzan Ozpetek are similar in many ways. He has a very distinctive style, with a number of recurring elements. There is usually a loving, committed gay couple (sometimes central to the story, sometimes not). Then there is a straight woman, who forms a very close, intense friendship (bordering on love) with one of the gay guys. There are often flashbacks to the youth of some older character as they were struggling with their own romantic trials and tribulations (which the younger characters are going through in the present tense). There is sometimes terminal illness and/or suicide. There is the constant dilemma of complete honesty/truth versus lies/deception in relationships (between lovers, friends, relatives etc.). No easy answers are ever provided, by the way. There is a strangely intoxicating mixture of crazy humor and bittersweet sadness that can move you to tears way before you're done laughing (or make you laugh out loud while still crying - it's all the same, anyway). There is gentle mockery - and complete understanding - of all the characters and their particular flaws (yes, even the homophobic ones usually get just a few exaggerated eyerolls, until some life-changing event makes them reconsider their stale beliefs). There is family - in all its many forms and definitions. Unlike His Secret Life, Loose Cannons focuses mostly on its traditional concept - a large, extended family in a small Italian town, famous for its pasta manufacturing business. The father, who runs the company, is about to retire and pass on the responsibility to his eldest son, Antonio. The younger son, Tommaso, is perfectly happy with the arrangement - he couldn't care less about pasta, he wants to pursue a writing career in Rome instead (where he'd been living for the past few years anyway, studying literature instead of business - as well as sharing his life with a male partner). In fact, he is planning on coming out to the entire family, in the hopes that his prejudiced father will kick him out of the house and release him from any obligations to the family business. He has it all thought out, down to the little speech he is going to make. There is only one little problem - his brother beats him to it.
The film is all about making fun of stereotypes - usually this type of story contains only one "prodigal son", who scandalizes the entire tribe. Here we have two. Who don't know about each other, by the way. Antonio has been very good at pretending to conform to everyone's expectations - but when he sees his brother all ready to be let off the hook and leave him alone to face the music (Tommaso confides in him the night before the planned coming out), something snaps and he decides he can't keep lying any longer. Which, obviously, leaves Tommaso in a pretty pickle (the father has a minor heart attack after Antonio's confession - not a good idea to give him another one right away, is it?...). All his parents' desperate hopes latch onto him after Antonio's crushing disappointment. He finds, however, unexpected moral support in the form of Alba - the young, gorgeous daughter of his father's business partner. The family wants to believe the two are dating - but Tommaso tells Alba all about his lover, Marco, and they form a deep bond of a different kind; he now has someone he can confide in, while she feels loved and appreciated as a person, not just a beautiful "prize" to be shown around the neighborhood (there are hints here and there in the film that this might be the way straight men perceive her, and the wistfulness in her eyes when she listens to Tommaso talk about Marco is heartbreaking). Then there is the unexpected visit by Marco and three other gay friends from Rome, who try (quite unsuccessfully, I might add) to pose as a bunch of straight buddies for Tommaso's benefit - immense hilarity ensues, aided by the profound cluelessness of most of Tommaso's family (the father happily tells the neighbors to "lock up their daughters" while his son's friends are in town, lol). There's no way to give verbal justice to the entire debacle - you HAVE to see it. There is also the dimwitted maid, Teresa, the permanently tipsy Auntie Luciana, who tends to lose her contact lenses, and the stoic grandmother who has seen it all (she is completely unfazed by either of her grandsons' revelations, looking on the unfolding events with a secret little smile). And a thousand other priceless details/moments I could spend all night writing about - but yeah... if anyone's still reading, I've spoiled you enough.:D If you get a chance to see this movie (region 2 DVD is available already - we might have to wait a bit for region 1, but I'm sure it will be released eventually), please do yourself a favor and see it. Even if you've never heard of Ferzan Ozpetek or seen any other of his films - this one's a must. And if you've seen Le fate ignoranti and been touched to the core of your being, like yours truly - be prepared for the same emotional intensity. The cast is different this time, though - I haven't noticed any familiar faces, except for some small, supporting roles. There is no Stefano Accorsi, no Margherita Buy and no Serra Yilmaz.:) Still, most of the actors leave a lasting impression. I was particularly enchanted by Nicole Grimaudo, who plays Alba - a stunning beauty with a lively, expressive face and large dark eyes. I hope Ferzan keeps her in mind for future projects.;)
Btw, I was checking out the trailer on IMDb while writing this post, and my laptop lost "display functionality" again. *sigh* Had to do an instant reboot. Thank the gods for the "autosaved draft" feature. Otherwise I would have just wasted half a night writing something no one (including myself) will ever get to read. Ah, the joys of technology. *headdesk*
What am I doing still awake at this hour, anyway? *blinks* I need to change location from the computer chair to the bed, pronto. My brain will shut down in about 30 seconds.:P
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Date: 2010-10-17 07:14 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-10-17 05:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2010-11-08 12:04 pm (UTC)