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L’Avventura
(1960,
Italy)
Psychological significance: **** [out of ****]
Directed by Michelangelo
Antonioni. Cinematic value: **** [out of ****]
Young woman (Lea Massari) suddenly disappears during a boating trip on
an inhabited island. Shortly afterwards, her boyfriend (Gabriele
Ferzetti) and her best friend (Monica Vitti) became attracted to each
other. However, don’t expect the mystery. This is a study of emotional
isolation, moral decay, lack of the communication and emptiness of rich
people in contemporary (then) society. You can easily be bored by the
slow pace and the lack of dramatics of this movie unless you capture
its true purpose. This is “state of mind” or experience film rather
than conventional plot film. Antonioni practically discovered the new
movie language in L’Avventura. By using formal instruments he is
expressing emotions of the characters (loneliness, boredom, emptiness
and emotional detachment) and the viewer is forced rather to feel this
same emotions himself than to be involved in the story and its events.
These formal instruments are: slow rhythm, real-time events, long
takes, visual metaphors like inhabited island(s), fog, extreme long
shots (small characters in panorama) and puting protagonists on
inhabited streets or large buildings and landscapes. Great
cinematography. Forms trilogy with La Notte (1961) and L’Eclisse
(1962).
L'Avventura from the Rotten Tomatoes Internet Movie Database
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L’Eclisse (1962, Italy)
Psychological significance: **** [out of ****]
[aka The
Eclipse] Cinematic value: ***1/2 [out of ****]
Directed by Michelangelo Antonioni.
Third film in Antonioni’s trilogy of alienation following L’Avventura
(1960) and La Notte (1961) about a young woman (Monica Vitti) and her
brief affair with handsome Alain Delon. Like in his other movies,
Antonioni uses specific techniques not to tell the story but rather to
express the lack of communication among the characters, their
alienation and incapableness to make a strong and meaningful relation.
May this be because of their shallow characters or as a result of
living in a modern society marked with the superficial values like
prestigious and run-for-the-money – it’s up to the viewer to decide.
Anyway, long cadres, real time events, visual metaphors and visual
contrasts between the characters on the one side and landscapes and/or
modern day creations like buildings, streets (usually empty) on the
other is what makes this rather experience than a plot-movie
(intentionally) but nevertheless effective in their purpose (which is
to express and transmit this same feelings of alienation to the
viewer). So, if you’re looking for an entertainment, you better skip
this one. Final scene is great in concluding the movie. A bit weaker of great L'Avventura.
L'Eclisse from the Rotten Tomatoes Internet Movie Database All Movie Guide
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Lost in Translation (2003, US)
Psychological significance: **** [out of ****]
Directed by Sofia Coppola. Cinematic value: **** [out of ****]
Bill Murray stars as famous American actor coming to Tokyo to film some
commercials for their television. There he meets a young female
American (Scarlett Johansson) and they develop a superficial
friendship. Some people misunderstood it as boring “style over
substance”, but this is more style FOR substance. This is movie about
cultural, age and individual differences and most important – about
alienation in a modern society. Coppola displays tremendous talent and delicacy in
crafting this film by clever use of formal elements, like visual
metaphors, slow rhythm, contrasts between large buildings, lights and
cheap fun on the one side and the bored and empty characters on the
other. This form in addition with great acting efficiently express
emotional detachment, boredom, senselessness and alienation of the
protagonists. Film is well worthy of comparison with the best films of
great Italian director Michelangelo Antonioni who explored the same
topics. Major virtue of this movie is directing. Nevertheless, Oscar
for Best Director went to Return of the King and Sofia received Oscar for Best Screenplay.
Lost in Translation from the Rotten Tomatoes Internet Movie Database All Movie Guide
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My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002, US)
Psychological significance: **1/2 [out of ****]
Directed by Joel
Zwick.
Cinematic value: **1/2 [out of ****]
Nia Vardalos stars as a 30-year-old
Greek-American woman trying to ‘’break the rules’’ of her family. Well,
what starts as a very fine and fresh comedy after 30 minutes turns out
to be a stereotypical and predictable romance. Of course, it’s nothing
bad in comedy/romance itself but there is in the approach which is,
lets say – ‘’too familiar’’ and certainly not bringing some new
perspectives or ideas (except being Greek). So, after the well start
film is like running out of ideas (repeating the same ones on and on,
like Vartex joke, Greek word origin jokes or translation jokes) and
becoming an average ‘’forbidden love’’ story full of ‘’yes, we saw that
million times’’ situations. Nia Vardalos also wrote a script which
earned an Oscar Nomination (?!) for this box office smash. Leave your
high expectations behind, but worth watching and somehow enjoyable.
My Big Fat Greek Wedding from the Rotten Tomatoes Internet Movie Database
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