# 453 - THE AVENGERS (2012)

THE AVENGERS (2012 - ACTION / SUPERHERO) ****1/2 out of *****

(Hot people in Spandex: Aw, yea...)



CAST: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Samuel L. Jackson, Tom Hiddleston, Cobie Smulders, Clark Gregg, Gwyneth Paltrow.

DIRECTOR: Joss Whedon

WARNING: Some SPOILERS one seriously sexy sextet of superheroes - straight ahead....



IT'S LIKE THIS: In IRON MAN, we met swaggering billionaire stud Tony Starke (Robert Downey Jr.) and witnessed how he put on what is basically the coolest "Knight-In-Shining-Armor" suit ever - and turned into Batman, but much less serious and angsty. Then we watched his sexy swagger increase even more (if that's even possible) in IRON MAN 2, where we also got to meet the foxy Natasha Romanov (Scarlett Johansson) - who is basically every butt-kicking Bond Girl from Anya Amasova to Wai Lin to Jinx Johnson to Camille Montes, rolled into one. Then in THOR, we got to meet, uh, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), owner of the best highlights this side of the Sally Hershberger salon. Which makes you wonder why he seems so pissed off all the time. Doesn't the dude know he's got tresses that Gwyneth Paltrow would kill for? Then there's THE INCREDIBLE HULK, where we met "Beta Male With Serious Anger Management Issues" Bruce Banner, who, when seriously ticked, makes Thor look like Ichabod Crane, physique-wise, and Mr. Rogers, temperament-wise.

Speaking of Mr. Rogers, let's talk about a different one. Let's chat a bit about the last member of our sexy sextet of superheroes. Last, but in no... way... the... least... is Steve Rogers (Chris Evans). You'll recall that Stevie was a sweet, earnest, hot 90 pound runt who became a sweet, earnest, hot 220 pound stud who filled out a spandex suit with his perfect bubble butt (small but shapely) quite nicely. Makes me proud to be an American. And horny. Anyhow, you'll also recall that in CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER, Steve tussled with some nazi freakazoid with a really bad sunburn over some sort of glowing cube called "The Tesseract". Well, let's just say that the squabbling continues anew in THE AVENGERS - the latest in Marvel's chain of superhero flicks that is destined to make more money than God. Apparently, that fucking Tesseract thing is more prized than a 50% discount for a penthouse suite at the Hale Koa Hotel in Honolulu. Why, you ask? Well, read on...

It appears that The Tesseract can open the doorway into another dimension and let in a bunch of really ugly looking aliens that resemble a cross between a giant centipede, a garbage truck, and a rusting motorcycle. Which means that someone with an evil bent could conceivably use it to kick off doomsday. Hmmmmmm.... where's an evil mastermind when you need one? Well, it's at this point where Loki (Tom Hiddleston) enters the story saying "You rang?" You folks will recall that Loki is Thor's whiny pissant little brother who really needs to grow a pair. I guess his way of trying to prove himself involves stealing The Tesseract and kickstarting the aforementioned end-of-the-world. Geez, dude. Overkill much? Me, I'll take that half-off penthouse suite at the Hale Koa instead.

Enter mysterious agent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and his bonerrific second-in-command, agent Maria Hill (Cobie Smulders). Their job is to make sure our six superheroes don't turn into supertwats and annoy each other - which, given their herculean abilities, would be like nitro irritating glycerin. It's going to be an uphill climb, since Nick and Maria are dealing with: (1) a billionaire playboy with an ego the size of a planetoid, (2) a scientist with mega-anger management issues; (3) a Nordic god who wields a hammer the way most people wield their cellphones; (4) a female assassin named after a deadly spider who has more leather suits than a going-out-of-business sale at an S&M shop; (5) a male assassin named Hawkeye who totes around bows and arrows like he's Robin Hood's bastard son; and (6) our dear Steve Rogers, whom I'd like to have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner... you've heard of a hero sandwich? Well, sweeties, you have not lived until you've had a superhero in your mouth. Or two. Ha ha. Draw your own conclusions...

So... will The Avengers unite to battle Loki? Or will their constant in-fighting undermine their teamwork? Will Loki use The Tesseract to unleash hell on Earth? And if so, what is his ultimate plan? Doesn't the silly shit know he won't have anything left to rule if his rusting garbage truck monsters destroy the whole joint? How can he be stopped? How will this all end? And the most utterly ineffably important question of all: how gorgeous will Steve Rogers and Maria Hill's kids be when they finally just decide to fuck each other's brains out?

Those are going to be some gorgeous offspring...

























BUT, SERIOUSLY: In this increasingly blockbuster-driven American cinema culture, studios are upping the ante to try to give the audiences something they haven't seen before. The danger with that kind of mentality is that with the fervor to outdo the competition, you tend to forget the classic formula of all good movies: (1) establish a group of sympathetic, vivid characters; (2) then put them in mortal danger; (3) and then have them get themselves out of it - or not. Most summer blockbuster films get the second and third parts right - but they sometimes overlook that crucial first part. And if you don't care about a group of characters, you aren't likely to care if they succeed or fail, flee or fight, live or die. With THE AVENGERS, Marvel Studios doesn't really try to give us anything new. Rather, they very wisely take the classic formula of good movie-making - and run with it. Basically, we care about this group of superheroes (and their allies) - and it pays off in us being invested in their mission.

THE AVENGERS has had the distinct advantage of having each of its principals (with the exception of Hawkeye) be set up with their own "backstory" film. This allows to go into THE AVENGERS with an established interest and emotional investment in the characters. All that might have still fallen by the wayside if the leads didn't click with one another. After all, this is their first time sharing center stage with each other. Fortunately, everyone here clicks. This is one cohesive team, and they have a solid chemistry. There isn't a weak link among them, and their camaraderie gives the film a sturdy foundation.

Robert Downey Jr balances swagger and sincerity as Tony Starke, effectively essaying a man who doesn't play well with others but is forced to by his circumstances. Chris Evans continues his subtly clever portrayal of Steve Rogers, hinting at Rogers' sense of displacement in this modern world he doesn't understand - and where his old values may not be as prized as much. Evans also plays all of his character's old-fashioned earnestness and stoicism without having him appear too idealized or perfect - which is harder than you think. Scarlett Johansson turns in solid work as Natasha Romanov, especially in a scene where she plays a psychological game of cat and mouse with Loki in an effort to find out his secrets. Chris Hemsworth as Thor turns in a similar performance as Evans, one that combines confusion with conviction - since both Thor and Steve are from bygone eras, they share a sense of being "behind the times". Then there's newcomer Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye. Renner and Hawkeye more than hold their own against his co-stars and their characters. Finally, Tom Hiddleston as Loki makes for a refreshingly multi-faceted bad guy. His performance reminds me somewhat of Joaquin Phoenix and Commodus in GLADIATOR: a similar character who was trying to emerge from the shadow of his more celebrated kin - but in a deadly way.

As for the supporting cast, Sam Jackson is a suitably vivid Nick Fury, while Clark Gregg and the gorgeous Cobie Smulders are dynamic as Fury's fellow agents who do their best to help and protect the lead six. Gwyneth Paltrow also has nice cameo as Pepper Potts, Tony Starke's loyal lover. But Smulders as Maria Hill is the most compelling presence in the support group and thankfully gets a lot to do, and the film hints at a future relationship between her and Steve Rogers. Can't wait for the sequel. Chris Evans and Cobie Smulders will make one beautiful couple.

Director Joss Whedon strikes the perfect balance of humor, heart, and heroism in THE AVENGERS, making it a perfect summer ride. The movie so galvanizing, buoyant, and vivacious that I can't help but wonder if the upcoming THE DARK KNIGHT RISES may appear overly dour and angsty by comparison. We shall see. For now, know this: THE AVENGERS is the best superhero film since CAPTAIN AMERICA.

Go, Team! In closing, a tribute to THE AVENGERS:

Schedule Update...

Hello, folks.... Sorry for the delay in getting the first of our Summer reviews posted. Busy, busy, busy week. Too many social commitments and my ongoing dive instructor training intervened. It's all good though, because I will do my best to get the reviews for THE AVENGERS, FRENCH KISS, THE ROAD, and THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL by Sunday night. Even with a soccer party tomorrow for the UEFA Championship League Finals raging between Bayern vs Chelsea in the Allianz Stadium in Munich, I will still try to get those reviews posted. Go Deustchland, land of my pasty forefathers!



Please expect the following to post by Sunday night:

# 453 - THE AVENGERS

# 454 - FRENCH KISS

# 455 - THE ROAD

# 456 - THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL

And please expect the remainder of our May Reviews to post by the end of month:

# 457 - DARK SHADOWS

# 458 - THE DICTATOR

# 459 - MEN IN BLACK 3

# 460 - BATTLESHIP

# 461 - CHERNOBYL DIARIES

I am moving THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS into June, along with a few other "Oldies-But-Goodies" mixed in with our June new releases...

Have a great weekend, folks...

MAY MOVIE SCHEDULE...

Hello, folks... first of all, my apologies for not getting the last of the April reviews and the first of the Summer reviews posted as soon as we would have liked. With the MLS season heating up, and the Italian Serie A season winding to an explosive finish, it's been quite busy on the soccer blog. Even though the Serie A season officially ended today (with victories for Napoli, Lazio, and Udinese over Siena, Inter, and Catania, respectively), Juventus pretty much had the Scudetto (sorta the Italian version of the MLS Cup) in the bag - as they did 27 times before. Yes, folks, Juve did it for the 28th time. They were officially given the Scudetto last week - everything else was just a formality. Congrats also to AC Milan, Udinese, Lazio, and Napoli (Viva Napoli) for rounding out the Top Five. Love. It. But I promised a separation between soccer and movies, so that's all I'm saying about The Beautiful Game. On to the Beautiful Art... of Cinema.

Please find below our May Schedule. We'd initially wanted to list the whole summer line-up, but that might be too long. So we're breaking up the reviews, month by month until summer's end. Please note that we are also adding some Oldies-But-Goodies to the mix. See below:

# 453 - THE AVENGERS (AKA Sexiest. Party. Evah...)

# 454 - FRENCH KISS (AKA Meg Ryan And Kevin Kline Equals Delicious French Dessert)

# 456 - THE ROAD (AKA Philippine-Style Horror - Watch Out)

# 457 - THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL (AKA Old Coots In India - The Movie)

# 458 - DARK SHADOWS (AKA Johnny Depp Goes Weirdo Again)

# 459 - THE DICTATOR (AKA Sacha Baron Cohen Strikes Again)

# 460 - BATTLESHIP (AKA: Liam Neeson In Navy Whites - Enlist Now)

# 461 - MEN IN BLACK 3 (AKA: My Man Will Does His Snarky Sexy Thang Again - And I Likes)

# 462 - THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS (AKA: Timothy Dalton = Brunette Daniel Craig)

















By the way, our last April review, THE RAVEN, will be incorporated into a future line-up...

Please expect the reviews for THE AVENGERS and FRENCH KISS to post soon. Thanks!

Summer Is Here....

Hello, all...

Just a quick post to kickstart our Summer Movie Season. With the posting of SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN, we are ready to start our reviews. Saw THE AVENGERS awhile back, but am only now getting around to posting the review tomorrow. Please expect the first of the Summer Movies to start trickling in...

Gotta dash, as the night is young. But for now, please checkout our Summer Movies (with one or two older ones) below...

Buona notte, peepz...

# 452 - SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (2012)

SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN (2012 - COMEDY / DRAMA / ROMANCE) **** out of *****

(You want to do WHAT?!?!?! WHERE?!?!)



CAST: Ewan McGregor, Emily Blunt, Amr Waked, Kristin Scott Thomas, Tom Mison, Rachael Stirling.

DIRECTOR: Lasse Halstrom

WARNING: Some SPOILERS one seriously quirky - if not downright asinine endeavor - straight ahead...




IT'S LIKE THIS: There are certain things in this universe that go hand-in-hand and are pretty much pre-ordained: Hawaii and scuba diving, Colorado and mountain biking, Capri and kayaking, tomatoes and mozzarella, peanut butter and strawberry jam, margherita pizza and red wine, movies and hilarious friends, Happy Hour and hilarious friends, soccer games and hilarious friends, road trips and hilarious friends. Basically, you can't imagine one without the other.

Then there are things that are mutually exclusive to the point of being an accepted universal fact. Such as: spandex and tubby folks, supermodels and all-you-can-eat buffets, beef bourguignon and Chardonnay, Seattle and SPF 90 sunblock, Mexico and ice skating, South Park and political correctness, and - last but in no way the least - salmon fishing in the Yemen.

Let's talk a bit about that last one, specifically salmon fishing. Folks, salmon fishing is a popular sport in the Pacific Northwest, Scotland, Northern Japan, and Scandinavia. What do these places have in common? Not much - just the fact that they are very far north... and usually fucking cold. Which is what our friendly salmon thrive on. Now let's talk about Yemen. Folks, Yemen is at the southern end of the Middle East, where there are a lot of sand dunes and intense heat and temperatures that are capable of poaching your testicles if you're not careful. Do I really have to do the math for you guys? Bottom line: fishing for salmon in Yemen is like trying to find a virgin at a porn star convention.

Yet, that is the subject of our next review, as evidenced by its title, SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN. Duh. Anyhow, our story gets kickstarted when a very wealthy Yemenese dude called Sheikh Muhammad (Amr Waked) decides he's got way too much cash in his coffers and decides to blow it all on... bringing the sport of fly-fishing to the Yemen. Yes, folks: instead of just throwing a massive house party complete with Vegas hookers and the entire Barnum Bailey circus, our dear Muhammad decides to bring a sport heretofore only native to chillier northern climes - to the scalding environs of the Yemen desert.

Assisting Muhammad in this utterly nutty endeavor is foxy Brit liaison Harriet (Emily Blunt). Harriet works for the investing firm that handles Muhammad's vast fortunes - and instead of guiding the poor sod towards backing an awesome water park/underwater hotel resort in Hawaii (which is what I would create if I was a bazillionaire), they indulge his crazy-ass dream of bringing his numero uno passion (fly fishing) to a place where, if you wanted to, you could throw away all the frying pans and grills and just use the sidewalk at high noon to prepare your eggs. I guess money does talk, don't it?

Anyhow, Harriet recruits the assistance of bewildered and cantankerous fisheries expert Dr. Alfred Jones (Ewan McGregor) in making Muhammad's vision come true. As you can imagine, Dr. Jones pretty much reacts to this situation the way you'd expect a repressed, fact-oriented sourpuss to react: he basically tells Harriet and Muhammad that they are goddamned loonies. Yes, Alfred - but one of those loonies happens to be a very rich, very powerful man. Which tends to not go unnoticed in the circles of power.

Sure enough, Muhammad's bizarre plan gets spread around and, before you know it, who should get wind of it but the hard-boiled, no-nonsense, terminally-sarcastic press officer of the Prime Minister. She is Patricia Maxwell (Kristin Scott Thomas), and she isn't so much a woman as she is a fearsome force of nature. As in: you try and stop her... I'm running for cover. This woman is hell with a Blackberry. And that is a compliment. I thought me and my friends had cornered the market in hilarious text message banter. We ain't got nothing on Patricia and her zingers. Patricia basically sees the "bring salmon to Yemen" scenario as a way to pump some goodwill back into Yemeni-British relations, especially in the wake of a recent scandal where some Brit diplomats got caught screwing some Yemeni chicks. Yawn.

Soon, Patricia is putting the pressure on Alfred to help Harriet and Muhammad make the ridiculous dream an even more ridiculous reality. But is it really possible? How in the fucking hell can you take a cold-water fish and drop it in a man-made river in the baking heat of the southern Middle East - and expect it not to turn into a poached dinner? Do Harriet and Muhammad have some secret strategy up their sleeves? What is it? And what happens when Alfred finds himself falling for Harriet? Will he change his mind about the project? Will he be inspired to make it come true? Or is this all pretty much the equivalent of trying to bring a chain of Outback Steakhouses to India?

Well, let's just say with someone like Patricia "Tornado" Maxwell working behind-the-scenes, anything can happen...


















BUT, SERIOUSLY: When we first heard about SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN, we were immediately intrigued. After all, you can't get much more intriguing of a title than that. With Emily Blunt, Ewan McGregor, and Kristin Scott Thomas in key roles, the film looked very promising indeed. The trailers further supported this hope. So... is the film as good as first impressions suggest? The answer is... yes.

In past reviews, we've talked about how a talented cast, skilled director, and confident script can pretty much win over any audience. SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is yet another example of a film that takes a ludicrous premise - then spins it into cinematic gold. Alfred Jones, the skeptical scientist played by Ewan McGregor with quirky precision, acts as the "portal" character that the audience uses to get into the story. We basically share his utter disbelief at the seemingly farfetched scheme he finds himself in. This role is crucial, because if it is fumbled, we can't get completely involved in the story. It doesn't come as a surprise that the talented MacGregor nails the character, capturing both his initially chilly distance, then his gradual thawing and opening his mind and heart to Harriet and Muhammad's plan.

Speaking of Harriet, she is played with a nice graciousness by Emily Blunt, who is pretty without being distracting. Harriet could've easily come across as harsh and brittle, but Blunt plays her with a laid-back, bemused quality. She has a nice way of quietly asserting her authority and opinion, which is an interesting contrast to Alfred Jones' more explosive style. Blunt and MacGregor also have a nice chemistry that changes throughout the film, while somehow staying the same, if that makes sense. In other words, the "simmer" between them is always there, whether they are talking business, fighting, making up, becoming friends, and finally realizing they've fallen for each other. I don't think I've ever seen McGregor play such a vulnerable character, which is surprising since Alfred starts off so closed-off and standoffish. Blunt has a nice humanizing effect on him, and he sparks well of her in return.

Amr Waked is just as relaxed and mellow as Blunt. It's crucial for us not to see Sheikh Muhammad as a bored billionaire trying to entertain himself with a costly (and potentially ridiculous) undertaking. Waked underscores Muhammad's graciousness and wisdom, especially when we become aware that his idea is ultimately intended to help his country men - and not a frivolous, self-serving notion.

The film's sharpest performance, however, comes from Kristin Scott Thomas as the sharp-tongued and sharper-minded press officer Patricia Maxwell. Scott Thomas once said that she loves playing "spiky" characters - and humanizing them. With Patricia Maxwell, she has one of her spikiest characters - but in a highly amusing way. Patricia has a crisp, no-nonsense air about her that is always tinged with acid humor. Some of the film's best lines come from her - and Scott Thomas delivers each of them perfectly. In essence, if you look at the four main characters, Harriet and Muhammad are the gentle souls who tame and seduce the more intense Alfred and Patricia to their side. This is one of my favorite movie casts this year.

In the end, SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN is a very atypical and quirky film that is sure to please fans of the offbeat and whimsical. It's a valentine to those with impossible dreams - and the courage to go after them and make them come true, despite the odds and naysayers. It won't please everyone. But those it does please won't forget it anytime soon.

# 451 - SATURNO CONTRO (2007)

SATURNO CONTRO (2007 - DRAMA / ROMANCE) ***1/2 out of *****

(Dinner parties with pretty people and lots of wine - I've died and gone to heaven...)



CAST: Pierfrancesco Favino, Luca Argentero, Stefano Accorsi, Margherita Buy, Ambra Angioloni, Filippo Timmi, Michaelangelo Tommaso, Luigi Diberti, Serra Yilmaz.

DIRECTOR: Ferzan Ozpetek

WARNING: Some SPOILERS one seriously hawt coma patient - straight ahead...




IT'S LIKE THIS: Ah, the dinner party. It's an art form that requires certain elements to get completely right. You need the following: (1) good food, (2) great wine, and (3) interesting, exciting people. Get any of these wrong and you've got a potential disaster in the making. Nothing is worse than a dinner party with vibrant and intelligent companions - but shitty food and suck-ass wine. Well, except maybe for a dinner party with terrific food and wine - but dinner companions who are boring as hell and can't carry on an intelligent conversation to save their lives.

The tricky art of the dinner party (and the equally tricky art of choosing your friends) is at the heart of our next review, SATURNO CONTRO. The Italian-illiterate among you are probably wondering what the title means. Well, allow me to enlighten you: it means "Saturn In Opposition" - which is an astrological term to denote that you've got something fucked-up going on in your Tenth House. Or is it the Sixth House?

Whatever. The point is one of our characters is an astrology freak, hence the title. She is Roberta (Ambra Angioloni), and in addition to being a horoscope nut, she's also a slut and a cokehead. Par-tay! Roberta's circle of friends include: (1) Davide (Pierfrancesco Favino), famous gay writer who should really do more crunches and push-ups; (2) Lorenzo (Luca Argentero), Davide's lover who doesn't need to do any crunches and push-ups (i.e., he's sssssssssmokin' hot, yo!); (3) Sergio (Ennio Fantatichini), colossal sourpuss who goes around with an expression that suggests he just smelled a dog fart; (4) Angelica (Margherita Buy), winsome psychologist who is married to a cheating douchebag; (5) Antonio (Stefano Accorsi), aforementioned cheating douchebag; (6) Neval (Serra Yilmaz), ballbusting harridan who is married to a cop; (7) Roberto (Filippo Timi), aforementioned cop; and (8) Paolo (Michaelangelo Tommaso), ssssssmokin' hot wannabe writer who is trying to get Davide to mentor him - but clearly wants to fuck Lorenzo senseless. Can't say I blame him. Lorenzo looks just like Luca Argentero - and I would tap that in a nanosecond. He's like an Italian version of Russell Crowe - which, let's face it, is the only way you could make Russell Crowe even hotter:





But I digress. Anyhow, Roberta, Davide, Lorenzo, Angelica, Antonio, Neval, Roberto, and Paolo all gather weekly for mouth-watering dinners at Davide and Lorenzo's swanky apartment. From the looks of things, this the kind of dinner party you want to be at: great eats, awesome vino, and a bunch of crackheads who never fail to entertain and amuse. Unfortunately, one particular dinner gets seriously buzz-killed when none other than the hottest guy (Lorenzo, duh) keels over and goes into a coma. What. The. Cazzo? I guess it's one of those diseases that only hits sexy movie characters. Look at Campbell Scott in DYING YOUNG, Ali MacGraw in LOVE STORY, Kevin Costner in AMERICAN FLYERS, and Timothy Dalton and Anthony Edwards in HAWKS. Apparently, the longer someone has this disease, the more sssssssmokin' they get.

On top of Lorenzo's sudden mysterious illness, the dinner buds also have to deal with the implosion of Antonio's marriage when he decides he can't continue lying to Angelica and tells her the truth of his affair. Which leads to Neval tracking down his mistress in the flower shop she works at, where Neval proceeds to... well, let's just say it's not the most typical encounter between a mistress and a wife's best friend. More like atypical. The kind that only happens in movies. Usually, in real life, these confrontations result in catfights that would horrify actual cats.

So... will Lorenzo ever come out of his coma? How will his friends cope with the uncertainty of his sickness? Will Davide start something new with Paolo? Or will he stick by his man - even if his man may never wake up again? What happens when Lorenzo's parents arrive in Rome to take over the care of their son? Will they take him away from his life with Davide? Is it for the best? Why oh why didn't that jackass Antonio go into the coma instead? Why does the hottest guy in the cast have to be the sacrificial lamb? WHY!?!?!?

Oh, well... time for some more Pinot Noir.




















BUT, SERIOUSLY: In past scheduling posts, we jokingly referred to SATURNO CONTRO as LOVE ACTUALLY: ITALIAN-STYLE. That's actually not the most accurate analogy, because while LOVE ACTUALLY and its homages like NEW YEAR'S EVE, VALENTINE'S DAY, PARIS, and NEW YORK I LOVE YOU revolved around the love lives of a large group of loosely-connected characters, SATURNO CONTRO pivots around the love lives of small group of tightly-connected characters. In that regard, it is more similar to films like ST. ELMO'S FIRE (a group of recent college grads finds their way through the world and their place in it), CRUSH (three women pushing 40 hang out every week - then one of them begins a love affair with a 25-year old guy), THE BIG CHILL (college friends reunite years after graduation after one of them dies), and TV shows like THIRTYSOMETHING and FRIENDS (close-knit group of friends see each other through good times and bad).

SATURN CONTRO's director is Ferzan Ozpetek, the Turkish Italian auteur who is also responsible for stellar fare like HAMAM: IL BAGNO TURCO, MINE VAGANTI, LE FATI IGNORANTI, and LA FINESTRA DI FRONTE. Each of these films revolved around the theme of family - whether a family of relatives or a family of friends - and its importance. SATURNO CONTRO is less powerful than those films because of a focus on a larger group of characters with no clear protagonist. The result is less of an emotional hook than the rest of Ozpetek's output. It also doesn't help that Lorenzo - easily the most charismatic and compelling of the group - departs the action far too soon. Luca Argentero plays him with a sexy combination of boyish intelligence and quiet intensity. Argentero recently featured as Giovanni, Julia Roberts' character's Italian tutor in EAT PRAY LOVE, and hopefully his exposure in that film will leads to more work on this side of the Atlantic.

Stefano Accorsi, Pierfrancesco Favino, Ambra Angioloni, Michelangelo Tommaso, Margherita Buy, Filippo Timi, Ennio Fantastichinni, and Serra Yilmaz turn in strong, vivid work as the rest of Lorenzo's "family." The male characters are just a tad less vivid than the women, who basically steal the show. Buy is great as the wronged wife Angelica, who manages to still behave with grace and elegance in spite of the crumbling of her marriage, while Yilmaz shines in the aforementioned flower shop scene with Antonio's mistress. Angioloni's subplot where the troubled Roberta forms an unexpected bond with a tough but kind-hearted hospital doctor (Milena Vukotic) is another highlight. Basically, while the men are okay (with the exception of Argentero, who is much more than okay but disappears way too early) the women carry SATURNO CONTRO.

Even with a slightly lower standing on the ladder of Ozpetek's body of work, SATURNO CONTRO is still a well-made film that effectively drives home the importance of friendship and how you can't put a price on the value of family - whether of blood or kinship. It may not be as terrific as HAMAM: IL BAGNO TURCO, MINE VAGANTI, LE FATI IGNORANTE, and LA FINESTRA DI FRONTE, but it is still a good film in its own right.

SPOTLIGHT ON: New Trailers for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and PROMETHEUS...

Hello, all... It's been a breathtaking last 48 hours for two reasons:

1. The Seattle Sounders beat the L.A. Galaxy 2-0 last night, with the clincher being a stunning, go-for-it shot by Sounders striker Fredy Montero from a long distance (36 yards or so) from the goal. The roar of the crowd following that all-or-nothing goal is something we will never forget... You just had to be there. And all this after a co-worker complained yesterday that Fredy M. needed to start scoring goals this season. I just smiled and told him: "Relax, I have a feeling tomorrow night's game is going to be Fredy's Game. Just watch and see." My mom always said I was psychic...

2. And we have two new trailers for THE DARK KNIGHT RISES and PROMETHEUS - and both are amazing. In the new DARK KNIGHT trailer, we see much more of good-girl-gone-bad-gone-good Selina Kyle (AKA Catwoman). Anne Hathaway is going to kill with this role. Cannot wait to see her in action. Then there's PROMETHEUS, which is looking more and more like a loose remake of ALIEN - and since it's also directed by Ridley Scott (ALIEN's director), that is a very good thing.

See below:






And, of course, a tribute to our boy Fredy M., as well as Eddie Johnson for his goal and Mauro Rosales for his assist:



Please expect the reviews for SATURNO CONTRO and SALMON FISHING IN THE YEMEN to post very soon, schedule willing....

Ciao...