UPCOMING REVIEWS....

Hiya, folks... just a quick sneak peek at the Summer Reviews coming this month...









Enjoy the rest of May!

# 503 - ANATOMIE 2 (2003)

ANATOMIE 2 (2000 - HORROR / THRILLER / MYSTERY) ***1/2 out of *****

(Once more into the Aga Actabile Antihippocrate breach we go, dear friends...)



CAST: Barnaby Metschurat, Rosie Alvarez, Heike Makatsch, Herbert Knaup, Rosel Zech, Frank Giering, Hanno Koffler, August Diehl, Murali Perumal, Joachim Bibmeier, Boris Pietsch, Roman Knizka, Sebastian Nakajew, Felix Kramer, Wotan Wilke Mohring, Hauke Mammen.

DIRECTORS: Stefan Ruzowitsky

WARNING: Some SPOILERS and more damn good reasons to stay the fuck out of German medical schools - straight ahead...




IT'S LIKE THIS: In our last review, we followed the adventures (well, maybe we should say mis-adventures) of the lovely German med student Paula Henning (Franka Potente) as she tried to expose a long-thought-forgotten secret society of rogue doctors at the Heidelberg med school she was attending. This resulted in several of her buddies being offed by a psycho member of the Aga Actabile Antihippocrate, the aforementioned secret society (or AAA, not to be confused with the convenient roadside service that has saved our asses on many occasions). Fortunately, Paula survived the AAA antics - and lived to fight another day. The proof is her cameo in this flick, which continues the AAA assholes' reign of terror. Unfortunately, Paula's role is much smaller here - probably because she got tired of being chased by the psycho doctors in the first movie. She basically says "Nein, danke!" and gladly passes the Protagonist Baton to someone else this time around.

He is the hot Josef "Joe" Hauser (Barnaby Metschurat), and like Paula he (in addition to being hot) is earnest, ambitious, comes from humble origins, and wants to change the World - or at least find a cure for his baby bro's debilitating medical condition. Unlike Paula, however, he is an awesome soccer player when he's not hitting the medical books - which already makes him a more compelling hero in my book. We see proof of Joe's soccer devotion as the opening credits roll. The camera pans over the trophies and championship articles all over his room. Then, as he is getting ready to drive off to do his internship at a Berlin hospital, his crippled little brother Willi (Hanno Koffler), reminds him to stay loyal to Duisburg FC and never surrender to Berlin's team. "Duisburg forever!" agrees Joe as he drives off to catch a train, while one of my favorite songs ("Little By Little" by Oasis) plays over the scene.

Oh, yeah, folks... We are barely three minutes into this movie, and already I know the hero is a hottie who is also an awesome soccer player who loves his little brother and likes the music of Oasis. I think this was the point where I smiled, nodded, and thought to myself: "Ah, yes, this isn't going to be a borderline-piece-of-shit like the first movie." And, well, I was right. But more on that in the BUT SERIOUSLY portion of our review.

So, anyhow, Joe makes it to Berlin where he proceeds to get settled in before classes start. He is aided immeasurably by the presence of Lee (Rosie Alvarez), a gorgeous Philippine nurse who basically becomes a guardian angel to our hero. Lee introduces Joe to all the other Philippine nurses living in the hospital dormitory, and they all pretty much embrace him the way Philippine Chicks have historically welcomed White Men: eagerly. I happen to know, because that's why I'm on this Earth. But I digress. Again. Anyway, just like that, Joe has got himself an instant family (and potential girlfriend) before the first day of class has even arrived.

It's really fortunate that Lee and the other nurses are such nice people, because it turns out that Joe's classmates are all pretty much major douchebags. On Day One of his internship, for example, Joe finds out that there is a pecking order at Berlin General when it comes to interns - and he is pretty much on the lowest rung. At the very top of the social ladder is the posse of interns that are mentored by Professor Muller-Larousse (Herbert Knaup), some surgeon who almost won the Nobel Prize and is basically the German version of Alec Baldwin's egomaniac doctor in MALICE. As in: "I don't have a God complex. I am God, bitches..." Okay, I added that last word for effect. Shoot me.

Muller-Larousse's team of "aren't-we-all-so-fucking-FABULOUS!?!?" interns consist of: (1) Viktoria (Heike Makatsch), slut douchebag; (2) Kurt (Felix Kramer), another douche; (3) Gregor (Wotan Wilke Mohring), yet another douche; (4) Wulf (Sebastian Nakajew), yes, folks, another douche; (5) Dirk (Murali Perumal), super-douche; (6) Conny (Hauke Mammen), female douche who, unlike Victoria, is not a slut (not that it makes her more likable or anything); and (7) Sven (Frank Giering), tubby blonde dude who is kind of hot and is probably the only one in the group who isn't a douche. Which can only mean one thing: he's going to die first. And badly...

Joe learns that the members of Muller-Larousse's private posse are virtually guaranteed success in the medical field. So, for the sake of his baby bro, Joe figures out how to gain access into their exclusive little "club." His chance comes sooner than he thinks when one of the Philippine nurses tearfully begs Joe to operate on her daughter, who has some bleeding in her brain. They have no insurance (despite being nurses) and are desperate. At Lee's urging, Joe agrees and saves the girl's life. Little do they know, though, that Muller-Larousse has been watching the whole operation from a secret video camera surveillance system that would make the pervo landlord from SLIVER very proud.

However, instead of busting Joe for subverting hospital authority and operating illegally on the Philippine girl, Muller-Larousse tells Joe how impressed he is. Apparently, Joe's actions showed that he is someone who isn't afraid to bend the rules for the greater good. And, evidently, this is something that Muller-Larousse looks for in his disciples. And since one of his posse recently, ahem, committed "suicide," it appears there is an opening on Mack Daddy Muller-Larousse's team. Would Joe be interested in joining? Well, let's just say that our boy Joe doesn't have to think twice about that one.

Before you know it, Joe is running with Viktoria, Gregor, Wulf, Dirk, Conny, Sven, and the rest of the Dr. Douche Brigade. Very much to the concern of Lee, who correctly deduces that these folks are a bunch of rotten assholes who will eventually lead her boy Joe astray. But how can she warn him? Especially when that tramp Viktoria keeps opening her legs and fucking Joe senseless at every opportunity. The first encounter is when Viktoria drags Joe back to her lab so she can, ahem, "test" his endurance and stamina. Yes, folks, it means exactly what you think it does: she attaches electrodes to his dick as he bangs her thirty ways from the Fourth of July. Let's just say that a couple of interns will be walking funny in the morning. Ahem.

Then, just to make things more interesting, Joe finds out what Muller-Larousse's team does when they are not strutting around the hospital like a bunch of preening peacocks. It seems that Muller-Larousse is working on creating synthetic muscles and nerves which he hopes will wipe out paralysis and nerve damage. Meaning quadriplegics and cripples will all eventually be able to walk again. Meaning Joe's little baby bro Willi will be able to play soccer with his big bro once again some day. This is enough for Joe to sign up as a Guinea pig for the synthetic muscles, the way the rest of the team has. Apparently, each one of Muller-Larousse's douches has volunteered to test the synthetic muscle implants in a body part of his/her choice. Joe, being a soccer player, chooses his calves.

And, yes folks... this means exactly what you think it does: Joe goes out onto the soccer field - and mops the pitch with the opposing teams's asses. And their faces. And their pride. Let's just say that the new super-muscles in Joe's calves have the same effect on his soccer skills that Viagra has on a limp dick. In other words: "Thar She Blows!" Within a matter of minutes, the score is 12-0, in favor of Joe's team. It all becomes so boring to watch the opposing team try in vain to catch up, that Joe eventually just swaggers off the pitch before the game is even half over, with the referee screaming for him to come back - just to fuck Viktoria. Now that's a Cock of the Block, right there...

Yep, you'd think that all is well with Joe's world. You'd think that, but you'd be dead wrong. You see, all of sudden, Sven turns up dead. Now, this would be disturbing by itself, but it happens after Sven calls up Joe in a panic, saying he has to talk to him about something that is a matter of life and death. Unfortunately, before Joe can meet up with him, Sven takes a swan dive off the roof of the medical building. And even more disturbing is what Joe discovers by searching the hospital's database: Sven is the third member of Muller-Larousse's team to suffer an untimely death within the last few months. Coincidence? Only if you think that doctors really, really, really hate playing golf.

So... what is going on with Muller-Larousse's group? Why are they being bumped off like bottles at a shooting gallery? Who will be the next one to suffer an "accident?" Joe? Viktoria? Gregor? Dirk? Conny? Wulf? Muller-Larousse himself? Could the deaths be related to the illicit synthetic muscle implants? Is someone killing off the interns to hide a secret about them? What happens when Joe finally realizes he wants out? Will Muller-Larousse let him walk away just like that? Or will he go after someone Joe loves to force him to stay and cooperate? Like Lee? Or even Willi? How can Joe protect his friends and family? Who will protect Joe?

My vote is on Lee and her posse of Philippine nurses. Go, girlz - save that white boy...


BUT, SERIOUSLY: Our last review was the German horror/thriller ANATOMIE, which had an interesting premise and set-up but ultimately faltered because it didn't have the conviction to fully explore its initial concept: a secret society from centuries past spreading its dark influence in modern times - and endangering those who cross paths with it. Instead, writer/director Stefan Ruzowitsky fell back on stock characterizations and tired slasher cliches that undermined the narrative. Even the luminous Frank Potente, who elevated her role and made it the only interesting one, could only do so much to keep the story afloat.

Despite its flaws, ANATOMIE was enough of a hit in Germany and in the rest of the World - leading to a sequel. Fortunately, it appears Ruzowitsky has learned from his mis-steps in the first film, delivering a stronger film this time, with a more interesting group of characters - and a more cohesive and consistent plot. Unlike ANATOMIE, which couldn't decide whether to be a medical mystery/thriller or a slasher horror/flick, ANATOMIE 2 is more assured and mature in its narrative approach: it is firmly planted in medical-conspiracy territory.

Franka Potente returns to the movie, but her role of Paula Henning is much smaller than before. Paula only appears in the second half of a movie, and is now a cop intent on busting the Aga Actabile Antihippocrate practitioners. She makes the most of her limited scenes, but is such a radiant presence that her role feels bigger than it is. Fortunately, Barnaby Matschurat as new protagonist Joe Hauser is himself such a vivid screen presence that the movie doesn't suffer from the relative absence of Potente from most of the movie.

Matschurat is effective as Joe, showing us all the different sides to this character: the selfless need to succeed for the sake of his crippled brother (a nice plot thread), the self-serving desire to prove his worth to measure up to his more celebrated colleagues, and the uncertainty that slowly grows as he questions the path he has chosen. Matschurat also brings a nice athleticism to the soccer scenes, making them galvanizing and exciting. His physical prowess also comes in handy in the "escape sequence" late in the film, where he pushes his wheelchair-bound brother through the hospital at breakneck speed - making full use of his powerful synthetic calf muscles - in an attempt to evade his murderous team members. In short, Barnaby Matschurat is a more than worthy successor to the lead ole that Franka Potente occupied in the first film.

As this film's heroine, Rosie Alvarez is a reassuringly warm presence as Lee, the loyal Philippine nurse who stands by Joe through thick and thin - and saves his skin more than once. Alvarez is actually half-Irish/half-Philippine, and it appears that her hair and skin have been darkened to make her blend more with the full-Philippine characters around her, but she is completely believable in the role. Her relationship with Joe becomes the emotional fulcrum that the story pivots around. Lee tries to teach the ambitious Joe that heart is more important than power - and that success is not worth it if it means you sell your soul. This relationship emotionally anchors ANATOMIE 2 in a way that ANATOMIE never was (which was due to the lack of a strong link between Paula Henning and Caspar - the male lead character). Here, the hero and heroine have a solid connection that makes the story more resonant. It helps considerably, too, that Matschurat and Alvarez have strong chemistry between them - and make a beautiful couple to look at.

As the "bad girl," Heike Makatsch does something that Anna Loos from the first film never had the chance (or inclination) to do with her similar role: turn what could've been a stock character (the seductive vamp) into a morally conflicted and damaged character. Makatsch's Viktoria is clearly a woman accustomed to success and control - but is waylaid by her feelings for Muller-Larousse, which even she doesn't understand. Viktoria, just like Joe and Lee, has layers to her personality and that make her far more interesting than Gretchen from the first film, who was a one-note slut from the word "go." Makatsch is particularly strong in a scene where she is forced by Muller-Larousse to kill off an innocent character. With minimal dialogue, Makatsch effortlessly plays Viktoria's conflicted feelings of fear, desperation, and confusion - and shows her versatility.

As the main baddie, Herbert Knaup is a suitably alluring and menacing presence. Unlike Benno Fuhrmann's cardboard cipher Hein in ANATOMIE, Muller-Larousse is a very fathomable villain who we can easily get: he wants to succeed in the dog-eat-dog world of medical research, and will do anything to achieve it - even if it means going beyond the boundaries of acceptable medical research. The role needed someone not only handsome, but also charismatic, intelligent, and elusive so that we can understand why all these brilliant medical interns would be "seduced" by him. With the understatedly deadly and charming Knaup in the part, we get why.

The supporting characters are appropriately vivid and strong. Among them, Hanno Koffler is a standout. He is a nice, affable presence as Willi, Joe's crippled little brother who adores his older brother and dreams of playing soccer with him one day. In addition to Joe's central relationship with Lee, his brotherly connection to Willi also gives ANATOMIE 2 the strong emotional core that ANATOMIE didn't have. We understand why Joe makes a "deal with the devil" - it's because he wants to be able to get ahead and be in a position where he can do research to help his brother recover. The need to protect family is a very basic instinct, and it provides Joe with a compelling motivation in the story - and us with a strong rooting interest in him.

Ultimately, writer/director Stefan Ruzowitsky makes up for the shortcomings of ANATOMIE by avoiding them in ANATOMIE 2. This time we get a more assured and streamlined plot, stronger and more nuanced characters, and an actual emotional center to keep the film from being just another average horror/thriller. All these elements combine to make ANATOMIE 2 an outright good movie.

Good job, Stefan...

In closing, the awesome “Little By Little” by the band Oasis. It plays over the opening credits of ANATOMIE 2, when Willi and Joe say goodbye. It’s kind of like their theme song. Love this song..

# 502 - ANATOMIE (2000)

ANATOMIE (2000 - HORROR / THRILLER / MYSTERY) **1/2 out of *****

(And they say that the Health Care system is going to shit in America...)



CAST: Franka Potente, Benno Fuhrman, Anna Loos, Holger Speckhaan, Sebastian Blomberg, Traugott Buhre.

DIRECTORS: Stefan Ruzowitsky

WARNING: Some SPOILERS and some damn good reasons to stay out of German medical schools - straight ahead...




IT'S LIKE THIS: A few years ago, an acquaintance decided to apply to a medical school in Germany to further her studies. Why go all the way to Europe for that? Well, for starters, American medical schools are expensive as shit, and she wasn't too crazy about being buried in student loans until she was 90. And it turned out that the med school in Germany was going to be ridiculously cheap - if not almost free. Anyhow, she got accepted, and before you know it, she was on her way to Krautland to learn how to be a doctor. I mean, low-cost-almost-free med school? Who wouldn't jump on that?

Well, quite frankly, anyone who has seen our next review. You see, our next flick is the German horror flick, ANATOMIE. It is set in a Heidelberg medical school where some truly fucked-up things are going on. I bet if my acquaintance had seen this flick in time, there is no way in hell she would have gone through with her decision. Damn, I hope she's still alive.

ANATOMIE's heroine is the lovely Paula Henning (Franka Potente). Paula is one of those earnest, goody-goody types who wants to go into medicine to help the sick and change the world. Instead of, you know, getting filthy rich and going on golf vacations and switching out Jaguar convertibles every two years or so. Nope, not our Paula. She comes from a long line of noble, non-descript doctors and just wants - altogether now - "to make a difference." Go, girl. Puke.

Anyhow, Paula's gets off to great start by winning admission to that famed (and soon to be infamous) medical school in Heidelberg. Apparently, the alumni of the school have all gone on to greater things. If they survive, that is. Because, you see, the place has got a higher body count than your typical FRIDAY THE 13th movie. Which is kind of convenient, because the classes never run out of cadavers to dissect - there are always a few new ones every two days or so. But before we discuss that, let's talk about some of the fellow students and teachers that Paula encounters in this Medical School From Hell, er, Heidelberg.

They are: (1) Gretchen (Anna Loos), slutty whore who is supposed to be some kind of medical genius but literally can't think of anything else except dicks and balls and cum (ahem); (2) Caspar (Sebastian Blomberg), hot dark-haired guy whom Paula develops googly-eyes for (can't say I blame her - he looks like Sebastian Blomberg); (3) Phil (Holger Speckhaan), hot geeky guy whom Gretchen likes to fuck; (4) Dr. Grombek (Traugott Buhre), head of the medical program at the school who may or may not be a baddie; (5) Gaby (Antonia Cacilia Holfelder), plain and plump chick who probably won't get anywhere near as much cock as Gretchen The Whore during their stay at Heidelberg; (6) Davide (Arndt Schwering-Sohnrey) dude with a weak heart who probably won't be hanging around for long - if you know what I mean; and last but certainly the freakiest: (7) Heinie (Benno Fuhrman), overly serious snobby muscleboy who seems unaware that his name means "ass" in the United States - and should just lighten the fuck up. And, yes, Gretchen The Tramp likes to fuck him, too.

At any rate, things at the school are fine for, like, three minutes or so. Then Davide mysteriously dies and winds up as a cadaver in Paula's anatomy class. This naturally freaks out our heroine, especially considering she & that Gretchen The Slut just had coffee with Davide the day before - and he seemed fine. So why is Davide now on the slab, colder than Frosty The Snowman's dick? How did he die? Then, as if that's not fucked-up enough, Paula starts playing Nancy Drew and investigates the history of the med school. She soon discovers that the place used to be the stomping grounds of a now-defunct secret society called the AAA.

No, folks... By AAA, I don't mean the car service/automobile club that will rescue you anytime you have a flat without a spare while on a road trip, or if you lock your keys in the car because you are too distracted by the hot cop checking parking meters down the block. Nope, this AAA is a nastier bunch. AAA stands for "Aga Actabile Antihippocrate." Which basically translates to "A bunch of bloodthirsty doctors who conduct illegal and unethical experiments to further medical research." And what's even worse - Paula starts to suspect that AAA may not have been disbanded after all. Instead, they may have gone even deeper underground - but have never left Heidelberg, or ceased their sinister activities of kidnapping folks and performing heinous operations on them. All in the name of - ahem - "research."

Is the AAA still active? If so, are they responsible for killing Davide? Who else have they kidnapped and killed? Are they killing people just to have more corpses to experiment on? Or do the AAA have some sort of darker agenda? Who among the students and teachers are secret members? Heinie the Ass? Caspar the Hottie? Gaby The Spinster? Phil The Geek? Dr. Grombek the Fat Scientist? Gretchen The Sperm Bank? Who can Paula trust? Will the AAA kill her for digging too deep and discovering too much?

Let's just say that I hope my acquaintance doesn't decide to go play Nancy Drew at her med school in Germany. Who knows what the fuck she may uncover...


BUT, SERIOUSLY: Within the Horror, Mystery, & Thriller Genres, there is a Sub-Genre known as the Medical Thriller. We've had some strong examples of this sub-genre over the years. In COMA (1978), Genevieve Bujold played a doctor who caught on to a pattern of coma cases within a respected Boston hospital - and found herself in serious danger when she linked the cases to a widespread conspiracy involving organ harvesting perpetrated by some very high-powered people. COMA was recently remade as a mini-series on cable TV, and the result was a solid thriller - but not as good as the 1978 original, which was more taut and suspenseful.

Then in 1986, we had the surreal, atmospheric NOMADS, wherein Lesley-Anne Down played an L.A. doctor who treats a dying patient (Pierce Brosnan) - only to have the "memory" of his last few days "transfer" to her mind before he dies, which places her in danger from the supernatural entities that caused his death. Then there was MALICE in 1993, the Aaron Sorkin-scripted medical malpractice thriller that had more twist & turns than a mountain road in Hawaii - and a truly riveting soliloquy by Alec Baldwin's egomaniacal surgeon character. Three words: "I am God."

In 1996, EXTREME MEASURES came out - and it was basically a reworking of the COMA plot: a British doctor (Hugh Grant in an atypically serious role) in an NYC hospital becomes suspicious when several corpses disappear from the morgue, pushing him to dig deeper - and follow a trail right to the doorstep of a famous surgeon (Gene Hackman) who may be the head of a medical conspiracy.

Now, we have the German film ANATOMIE. Like COMA, NOMADS, and EXTREME MEASURES, this movie has a protagonist who is a doctor. And like those films, the protagonist follows a trail of clues that leads him/her down a very sinister path. The problem with ANATOMIE is that it can't decide whether it wants to be a medical mystery/thriller or yet another SCREAM slasher clone wherein a psycho killer cuts his way through a cast of beautiful people.

Unlike NOMADS, which started out as a medical thriller then increasingly became eerier and eerier until it fully abandoned logic and embraced the supernatural/mythic mystery at the story's core (leading to a stunning and unforgettably creepy finale), ANATOMIE tries to have its cake and eat it, too. It keeps jumping back and forth between the medical conspiracy plot thread and the psycho-killer plot thread - and ends up short-changing both. This is the main reason the film rates no higher than *** (above average). Had the script been rewritten to favor either the medical conspiracy angle or slasher angle, it might have been an outright good film. Instead it is merely your usual SCREAM wannabe - and not as strong as the Medical Thrillers mentioned above. And that's too bad, because ANATOMIE has a potentially intriguing premise that, had it been handled right, could have turned the film into a classic thriller.

The primary reason the film keeps from being below average is a strong turn by lead Franka Potente. Potente starred in this film before she gained international stardom as Marie in THE BOURNE IDENTITY & its sequels - and its easy to see why she hit the big-time. She has the valuable asset of being able to make silence and expressions speak volumes. This comes in very handy when playing characters who are mostly interior and not too expressive, the way Paula Henning is. A lesser actress might have turned Paula into a boring, one-note goody two-shoes, but Potente instead gives her nuance and dimension. Without Potente's performance, ANATOMIE would have easily sunk below the average mark.

The story starts out strong, echoing COMA's "innocent-woman-slowly-sniffs-out-a-conspiracy" premise. Unfortunately, just when the plot starts to heat up and hint at an intense second half, the movie goes down a trite path that undercuts the threat. At this point the film becomes more and more like all the slashers that came out in the wake of SCREAM's release in 1996. Basically, we have a psychotic character going around knocking off most of the cast. The plot tries to attribute his motivation to medical research, but this ploy is unconvincing and the promising set-up for exploring the Aga Actabile Antihippocrate secret society is pretty much abandoned in the third act. Instead, we get extended cat-and-mouse chase scenes between the killer and Paula through the darkened medical school. While these long sequences are fairly tense and well-shot, they are hampered by the bombastic and histrionic music that plays over it. Shame, too, because the musical score is overall pretty decent. But the piece that is used for the penultimate and final chase scenes is so over-the-top, it kills some of the suspense.

Another reason the film lags behind others in its sub-genre (including ANATOMIE 2 which came out a few years later - and is a much better film) is because the characters (aside from Paula Henning) are just not that interesting. Anna Loos is okay as Gretchen, but she doesn't really give the role any shadings or nuance the way Potente does with Paula. Instead, Gretchen is your basic "slutty" character. Everyone keeps saying how "smart" she is - but we never really see any evidence of that. Benno Fuhrmann is handsome and creepy as the killer Hein, but as with Loos and Gretchen, he doesn't do anything unexpected or new with his part. Sebastian Blomberg is a little better as the mysterious Caspar, who may have his own agenda for being at the school, but he doesn't get much screen time until the climax - when he is basically imperiled and Paula has to rescue him. Had Caspar been developed more and given more scenes, it might have improved the film. Then there's Holger Speckhaan as Phil, who barely even registers a personality so there isn't much that can be said about him.

Compared to its sequel, ANATOMIE has characters that don't seem much more than your basic "slasher stereotypes." Only Potente rises above the cliches. In ANATOMIE 2, each of the characters has nuance and shading, and are a more colorful and interesting bunch. ANATOMIE 2 also knows exactly what kind of film it wants to be: a taut, suspenseful medical thriller - which puts it streets ahead of the ANATOMIE, which doesn't know if it's a slasher film or medical mystery. By the second film, writer-director Stefan Ruzowitsky (who helmed both ANATOMIE 1 & 2) seemed to have learned his lesson. Good thing, too.

SPOTLIGHT ON: The Final Trailer for MAN OF STEEL...

Hiya, folks...

Hope everyone is having a great Sunday. Please find below the latest and final trailer for MAN OF STEEL, due out on June 13. This trailer focuses (expectedly) more on the action elements of the story, but it also shows us more of journalist/writer Lois Lane and her relationship with Clark Kent/Superman. The wonderful Amy Adams looks great as usual...

Please expect the other Summer Reviews to post as time allows... Ciao... Enjoy...

# 501 - LA PIVELLINA (2006) (US TITLE: THE LITTLE GIRL)

LA PIVELLINA (2009 - DRAMA) **** out of *****

(Trailer park life, Italian-style)



CAST: Patrizia Gerardi, Tairo Caroli, Walter Saabel, Asia Crippa.

DIRECTORS: Tizza Covi, Rainer Frimmel

WARNING: Some SPOILERS and serious Italian trailer park tearkjerking moments - straight ahead...




IT'S LIKE THIS: When you think of countries with trailer parks, Italy is not necessarily the first country that would pop into your head. With its centuries of stunning art, history, style, cuisine, and smokin' hot sexy people, Italy is the last place you would imagine to find an enclosed park filled with trailer homes and Honey Boo-Boo clones. But yet, our latest review begs to differ: apparently, Italy does have trailer parks. Thank goodness, though, that they're not as skeezy as those that exist in this country.

Our next review is LA PIVELLINA, which in English means, "The Little Girl." Which is this movie's American release title. It is about a couple of humble circus workers, Patti & Walter (Patrizia Gerardi & Walter Saabel), who live in a humble trailer park on the outskirts of Rome. It is the circus off-season, and they are not too busy. Good thing, too, because one evening, Patti stumbles across a cute little tyke named Asia (Asia Crippa), playing by herself in a nearby park. Asia's mother is nowhere in sight. After hanging out for a few minutes (or a hundred), the horrible realization that Asia's mother has obviously - oh, shit - abandoned her dawns on Patti. The fact that a handwritten note has also been pinned to Asia's parka is a major clue. The note is from Asia's mother, and she writes that she will be back to pick up Asia as soon as she can - and to please not call the police.

With little choice to do otherwise, Patti takes Asia home to her humble trailer park home to feed the poor abandoned girl. Soon, Patti's husband, Walter, comes home and learns that he and Patti have becomes parents at the young age of (if their looks are any indicators) 72. And he doesn't seem pleased by this - wonder why? Anyhow, it soon becomes clear that Walter is a little concerned about this development because he's afraid he and Patti will be charged with kidnapping if the authorities discover Asia in their trailer. Plus, now they have another mouth to feed and additional expenses - and considering they are in their off-season, that's not so great. Eventually, though, Patti manages to persuade Walter to, you know, calm the fuck down and give Asia's mother a chance to come back and pick her up. And just like that, we have a couple of reluctant grandparents...

While Walter goes around trying to scrounge up work, Patti makes Asia comfortable in her new and temporary home. She takes the little tyke to meet one of the neighbors, a soccer-loving Juventus teen named Tairo. Tairo and Asia get along like gangbusters, and just like that, Asia has another fan in her growing club. Patti, Asia, & Tairo pass the time doing the following: (1) stomping on rain puddles, (2) cooking meals and chatting, and (3) going out and hanging in the city. Gradually, a cute little family unit develops. Even Walter starts to mellow out a little and join on the fun.

But how long can this "love story" last? Won't Asia's mom be back soon to pick her up? If so, how will Asia's new "family" cope? Will Patti, Walter, & Tairo be heartbroken? And what happens when Asia's mom actually drops off a letter saying that she will be back very soon for Asia? Is Patti right when she says that it is someone they know? Who is Asia's mom? Does it matter? Is Asia's rightful place with her mom? Or with Patti, Walter, & Tairo?

Whatever the outcome, get that hanky ready...


BUT, SERIOUSLY: It's always interesting when a film shows a place that you are intimately familiar with in a new light. I lived in Italy for a collective total of 3.5 years, and have traveled extensively through it. I have also seen many films set there. However, none of those films show Italy in the interesting and touchingly humble light that our latest review, LA PIVELLINA, does. There are no sleek, glamorous, wealthy Italians in this film - just simple folk who make their living in a simple yet unconventional but honorable way. They are not money-oriented, but family-oriented. And their familial bond grows throughout the film, leading to the film's haunting, bittersweet finale.

But before anything else, I need to point out something else remarkable about the film. Although the plot is fictional, the "characters" are not. You'll notice that the cast plays "characters" with the same names as theirs. That is because independent film directors Tizza Covi & Rainer Fimmel have done something quite remarkable here. They have taken the real-life subjects of their documentary BABOOSKA, which was about circus performers, and used them as the basis of a fictional story. Patrizia Gerardi, Walter Saabel, & Tairo Caroli are indeed circus performers who live in a Rome trailer park, but the events of LA PIVELLINA were scripted by Covi and Fimmel. This interesting blend of fact & fiction creates a semi-documentary feel that gives the story impact and immediacy.

As can be expected, Gerardi, Saabel, and Caroli come off quite naturally since they are essentially playing themselves in constructed scenarios. They mesh well with one another because of their shared histories. Watching this unusual method of telling a cinematic story is quite rewarding and entertaining because it almost feels as if you are watching real people (which you are) in real situations (which you are not). I hope that Covi and Fimmel continue this experimental trend in their future films.

As great as the adult (and young adult) cast is, though, there is no doubt that the beating heart of this film belongs to young Asia Crippa as Asia, the lost little girl. Given that she is barely three years old, there was no concrete reason to believe that Crippa (or any other child of that age) could pull off the very difficult task of acting as the emotional center of this story. Still a toddler, Asia doesn't have an older performer's ability to shape her performance or make choices to enhance or subdue it. We have to fall genuinely in love with her the same time that Patti, Walter, and Tairo are falling for her, and with a less charismatic and dynamic child, the whole affair could have come crashing down. Thankfully, Covi and Fimmel caught lightning in a bottle with little Asia Crippa's casting. The child is just an endlessly compelling presence who hooks us with her natural sparkle. It will be interesting to see if she goes on to act as she grows older. If she does, she will no doubt be an effective performer.

LA PIVELLINA was recommended by the same friend who recommended our previous review, NUOVO MONDO (GOLDEN DOOR), and I was discussing it with another friend last month. I mentioned how refreshing it is to watch films that are peopled with simple, humble characters and themes that emphasize the value of decency, family, and loyalty - and that are made by people who have no interest in becoming the next rich Hollywood Big Thing. Instead, they have the freedom to focus on telling new and different stories about people who are not usually the subject of more "glamorous" establishment films. I felt it reinforced my decision to focus on free independent writing projects that emphasize creative and emotional rewards, rather than financial gain - which has never been of any interest to me. When something becomes a job, it gets competitive and calculating, and a lot of the special magic disappears. My friend agreed, and films like LA PIVELLINA retain a lot of that magic that so many other pricey Hollywood films lack because it is about a “business” rather than being creatively and emotionally truthful.

In the end, LA PIVELLINA is a little gem of beauty that reminds us of the power of friendship and family - especially the ones that form around us unexpectedly. Those are usually the strongest ones. We hope to see more of Tizza Covi and Rainer Fimmel's experimental brand of independent story-telling...

# 500 - NUOVO MONDO (2006) (US TITLE: GOLDEN DOOR)

NUOVO MONDO (2006 - DRAMA / ROMANCE / COMEDY) ****1/2 out of *****

(Say hello to the original Guidos...)



CAST: Vincenzo Amato, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Vincent Schiavelli, Aurora Quattrochi, Francesco Casiso, Filippo Puccilo, Federico De Cola, Isaballe Ragonese, Filippo Luna, Giuseppe Sangiorgi.

DIRECTOR: Emanuele Crialese.

WARNING: Some SPOILERS and serious FOB (Fresh Off The Boat) and WOP (Without Papers) antics - straight ahead




IT'S LIKE THIS: Remember TITANIC, that uber-hit about a star-crossed shipboard romance that launched Leonardo Di Caprio's career into the ozone and made millions of teenage girls go through six or seven boxes of Kleenex apiece? Well, our latest review is also a star-crossed shipboard romance - and is even better than TITANIC. Mainly because of those two things: (1) the ship doesn't sink, and therefore (2) none of our heroes die. Which is a damn good thing because our heroes are a bunch of fairly hot Guidos, and one really cute English chick.

It is 1904, and our Guidos are the Mancuso family. They are relocating from Sicily to New York to start a presumably better life. They are: (1) Salvatore Mancuso (Vincenzo Amato), nuclear-hot Daddy Guido; (2) Angelo Mancuso (Francesco Casiso), cute Baby Guido # 1; (3) Pietro Mancuso (Filippo Puccilo), cute Baby Guido # 2; and (4) Fortunata Mancuso, cranky Grandma Guida. The Mancuso clan has heard amazing stories of "Nuovo Mondo" AKA "The New World" - and they are quite stoked. Then again, I would be stoked, too, if someone told me that the United States was filled with carrots bigger than Macy's Parade Floats and rivers running with milk and honey. Salvatore, in particular, takes these stories for fact and regularly dreams about them. Before you know it, the Mancuso clan is schleppin' it to the closest Sicilian dock to get their fine (except for Grandma’s) asses on to the next Westward-bound freighter.

During the hellish pre-boarding processing phase, Salvatore and his family run into all sorts of headaches. Specifically, they: (1) have to put up with shysters who try to sell them all sorts of fake remedies that are supposed to guarantee them passage through Ellis Island; (2) contend with morons who insist on taking their pictures behind one of those “people scenes” with the faces cut out, like in some kiddie theme park; and (3) generally experience the 1904 version of a really long TSA security line.

Well, it's not all a pain in the ass. Because the Mancuso family does make the acquaintance of one Miss Lucy Reed (Charlotte Gainsbourg). Lucy is a cool, classy English lady, and fits in among these Guidos like Princess Kate at a WWF championship smackdown. Nevertheless, Lucy takes an interest in the Mancuso clan. Specifically, in Salvatore himself. Then again, Salvatore looks a hell of a lot like Vincenzo Amato - and, dude, I would tap that so hard, he wouldn't be able to walk properly for weeks. So I can't really blame Miss Lucy for giving our Daddy Guido some serious googley-eyes.

And so the ship sails... And if you are thinking that this is going to be some comfortable pleasure cruise, my dear, you need to wake the fuck up. For starters, the Mancuso clan and Lucy are jammed in with everyone else below decks like sardines. Actually, sardines probably enjoy more elbow room in their cans than our unfortunate protagonists in their bunks. And then there's the inevitable issue of a large number of people crammed into a confined space with nothing to do. Which inevitably leads to, yes, mean ugly gossip.

And Miss Lucy, being an aloof, private chick who keeps her own counsel, is naturally a favorite subject. I should invite Lucy to join me and Olive (Emma Stone) from EASY A, and go out to Happy Hour where we can trade stories about the slanderous, malicious gossip whispered about us - and have a laugh over mojitos. Of course, my close friend and confidante who is a lawyer doesn't think it's funny and wants to descend on the slanderers like Hurricane "Sandy". But as I always tell him: "Just forgive them and overcome meanness with understanding, as Buddha would say. And as Christ would say, forgive them father for they know not what they do. But I'll let you know when my patience and good will are gone."

Lucy must feel the same way, because she chooses to turn her back on all the vicious whispering going on behind her back - and sometimes right in front of her. Some of the nasty tidbits whispered: (1) she was dumped by a guy at Ellis Island and had to go back to Europe to try again; (2) she was the mistress of a rich English Lord who went back to his wife; (3) she is trying to steal Salvatore (or anything with an Italian Dick) to be her boy-toy; and (4) she is actually a man in drag. Okay, I was kidding about that last part, but you know the small-minded tongues around her pretty much covered that territory already.

Fortunately, Lucy has a guardian angel to watch over her: and he is none other than Salvatore himself. Just imagine Kevin Costner from THE BODYGUARD, but somehow even hotter. That's our Salvatore as he watches over Lucy during the voyage from Sicily to "il nuovo mondo." But what will happen once they reach New York? Will they be separated at Ellis Island? Will the immigration authorities permit the entire Mancuso clan to enter the United States? Or will some - or all - of them have to return back to Italy? Will Salvatore and Lucy find a way to work together so they can both enter the country? If so, is it just a business arrangement? Or do they really feel something for each other? Will the Guido Family and The Icy English Chick live happily ever after in The Big Apple?

Watch and see. For now, I think we will order ourselves some New York-style Pizza, bitches…


BUT, SERIOUSLY: In Buddhism, there is a saying: "it is better to travel than to arrive." Which is another way to say that the journey is sometimes more important than the destination. This is essentially the theme that is covered by movies within the Road Trip Sub-Genre. These films have protagonists who are thrown together on cross-county (sometimes cross-continent) journeys during which they grow as people and bridge the gaps between them, even as they prepare for the unknown waiting for them at their final destinations.

Movies like THELMA & LOUISE, HAWKS, THE SURE THING, SIDEWAYS, ROAD TRIP, JOYRIDE, TO WONG FOO THANKS FOR EVERYTHING JULIE NEWMAR, & LEAVING NORMAL are just a few strong examples. With our latest review, NUOVO MONDO (GOLDEN DOOR), we have an interesting variation on the Road Trip Movie - one that takes place on the open ocean. But this seafaring "road trip" is particularly distinctive because it also tackles the immigrant experience - which every American (save the Native Americans) can relate to because we all came from somewhere else.

What's remarkable and striking about director Emanuele Crialese's film, though, is how surreal, whimsical, and hypnotic he makes it. In the beginning of the film, when Salvatore and his sons listen with awe to fantastic stories of the bounties to be found in the "new world," it's not long before we are actually seeing images (in Salvatore’s fertile imagination) of giant carrots and rivers of milk - with Salvatore, Lucy, and his clan swimming through them. These quirky images underscore the innocence of the characters - and the big stakes they have wagered in making the journey westward to America.

Crialese's decision to emphasize the whimsy in the story keeps things fairly light and pleasant. This isn't to say, though, that there aren't moments of somber seriousness in the film (there are, such as one involving a dead infant on the ship), but the overall tone of the film is of exuberant sincerity. Crialese's anachronistic choice of adding contemporary pop songs to the soundtrack (such as Nina Simone's "Sinnerman") further lends the story with a perky, dream-like quality with a modern sensibility.

But the film isn't just about cheeky cleverness, though. As we mention above, it is also genuinely sincere. This is primarily because of its well-drawn characters. Salvatore Mancuso is a terrific protagonist who combines boyish innocence and vulnerability, with a manly courtliness and conviction. He's the kind of man that I see my friend "Clark Kent" (who recommended this film) becoming one day - one that is protective of his family and friends, but also needs someone else to protect him, the way Lucy protects Salvatore and the rest of his family at the end. The darkly handsome Vincenzo Amato takes ownership of this role and delivers a quietly dynamic performance that is marked equally by strong dialogue, but also subtly expressive non-verbals and gestures.

Watch for the exquisitely silent scene that opens the film. Salvatore and his son Angelo are scaling a mountain in Sicily, barefoot and with stones clutched in their mouths. They are on a pilgrimage to a shrine at the peak, where they will offer the stones - in exchange for guidance from God as to whether or not they should make the fateful trip to America. After they offer the stones, there is a lovely image of Angelo resting his head on the rocks, exhausted, waiting for the divine answer. Salvatore watches him with a sad smile, and a quiet look that is full of love, pride, and hope. We get the sense in that moment that Salvatore wants to make the trip not for himself, but for the good of his sons.

Then there is one of my favorite scenes ever in any film: the lovely sequence on the deck of the ship, where Lucy and Salvatore playfully tail each other around some smokestacks. It's a scene that manages to be both innocent and sexy at the same time, underscoring the simmering chemistry between Amato and Charlotte Gainsbourg (who is sensational as Lucy, but more on that below). Then there's the touching scene where Lucy asks Salvatore to help her get into America by marrying her. He agrees, and responds that even though it will start out as a marriage of convenience, they will learn to love each other in time. However, their non-verbals, gestures, and - especially - the quiet way that Lucy says "Si" while averting her eyes, tell us that these two are already in love. There are plenty of other scenes where Amato shines as Salvatore, but the above are the best - and we must spend equal time discussing Amato's radiant co-star.

Put simply, French actress Charlotte Gainsbourg is a powerhouse as Lucy Reed, the mysterious Englishwoman whom everyone on the ship can't stop talking or thinking about. Gainsbourg is atypically beautiful, and from some angles she can seem plain, but from other angles, she is quite striking to behold. Her beauty is like a prism that is always changing with the light. This elusive physical quality is a perfect complement to Lucy's personality, which is very elusive and enigmatic itself. Sometimes, she is open, warm, and approachable. Other times, she is cool, guarded, and inscrutable. At other times, she is downright icy and prickly. Gainsbourg keeps us firmly invested in the character with her eloquently expressive brown eyes, which speak volumes with every glance and look.

Had Crialese cast someone more typically and traditionally beautiful like Angelina Jolie or some other perfect female specimen, the character of Lucy Reed would have been compromised and lost some humanity. It's important that she be beautiful - but not too beautiful. As it is, Gainsbourg is perfection in the role. As with Amato and his role of Salvatore, Gainsbourg as Lucy is given many moments to not only make her mark with strong dialogue scenes, but also silent sequences where her brown eyes do all the talking. Watch for the surreal and lovely scene where Fortunata, Salvatore's mother who had previously been unkind to Lucy, quietly turns to Lucy in a crowded bunkhouse, as if to reluctantly acknowledge the role this mysterious Englishwoman will play in protecting her son and grandsons in the New World. This scene plays without any dialogue, just Fortunata and Lucy slowly facing each other and coming to an understanding of sorts, as the action and noise around them slows down to silence. Then there's the nice scene towards the end at Ellis Island where Lucy and Salvatore declare their intent to marry each other - and Salvatore tosses his hat to her as a gift. The way Gainsbourg plays Lucy's quiet joy during this scene is wonderful. Love, love, love these scenes.

As the rest of Salvatore's clan, Aurora Quattrochi, Francesco Casiso, and Filippo Puccilo provide strong support to the two leads. Quattrochi is believably hard-boiled and cantankerous as the stubborn Fortunata, who is very much of the old world. However, Quattrochi also credibly melts and allows Fortunata's softer to side to emerge in the latter goings, especially when it becomes clear that she will have to "pass the torch" to Lucy as far as the fates of Salvatore, Angelo, and Pietro are concerned. Speaking of the "boys," Angelo and Pietro are made as memorable as the other characters by the talented Casiso and Puccilo. Casiso's portrayal of Angelo echoes Salvatore's manly side, while Puccilo's depiction of Pietro taps into Salvatore's boyish and more innocent side. In essence, these young men are the two sides of their father, and the actors playing them deliver strongly.

What's also interesting about NUOVO MONDO is how we never actually see New York City or Ellis Island from afar. A less imaginative and more predictable film would have had the cliched and expected scene of the immigrants standing on the deck of the ship, staring out at the New York skyline and their new home as they sail into it. Crialese, however, knows how to subvert expectations and instead use subtext and subtlety to make the story more interesting. At the moment when the ships approaches New York harbor, a fog rolls in and all Salvatore, Lucy, and other immigrants (and we) can hear is an eerie foghorn intoning from somewhere in front of them. Crialese's execution of this scene is brilliant because of the twin layers he weaves into it: (1) the fog covering up New York harbor symbolizes the uncertainty facing all of them, with their futures hard to discern; and (2) this is the moment where Lucy "proposes" to Salvatore - and he accepts, with the fog isolating them from everyone else around them.

Also, later on in the film, when Salvatore and the other men are nearing the end of their "processing" on Ellis Island, they stand around some frosted windows and talk about being unable to see through them to the world outside. Once again, Crialese uses the metaphor of "blindness" to underscore the unknown future for the people. But then just a few seconds later, he introduces a ray of hope when Salvatore leads the pack and climbs up to an un-frosted panel of clear glass to look out outside. As he marvels about the tall buildings and budding skyline of New York, we are never shown what he sees. Instead, we just hear Salvatore's description of them. A less imaginative or thoughtful director than Crialese would've give us a shot of what Salvatore sees outside. However, by never showing us what he sees, and only showing us Salvatore's reactions of amazement and wonder, Crialese keeps our focus on the characters and firmly in their shoes. Which makes the story all the more powerful.

In the end, NUOVO MONDO (GOLDEN DOOR) is an amazing film that takes us on a surreal, whimsical journey - one that each of our ancestors took to start a new life in this amazing place called America. I wish that Crialese would do sequel to NUOVO MONDO that shows how Salvtore, Lucy, Angelo, and Pietro found their way through the New World. I like to think that after they married, Salvatore and Lucy opened a trattoria/pizzeria in Brooklyn called "Trattoria Mancuso," with Angelo and Pietro as waiters. I would love to see that movie...

Take note, Signore Crialese... we're waiting.