Film review: Casablanca (1942), by Michael Curtiz, *****

Buy the poster by clicking here

Synopsis

Casablanca: a French colonial city during WW II: still governed by unoccupied Vichy France, with a daily flight to neutral Portugal, from where ships sailed regularly to America. A city easy to enter, but much harder to leave, especially if you're wanted by the Nazis. Such a man is Resistance leader Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), whose only hope is Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American in love with Victor's wife Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman), the ex-lover who broke his heart. Ilsa offers herself in exchange for Laszlo's transport out of the country and bitter Rick must decide what counts more...

The film is bursting with memorable quotes!


Review

So much has been said about this film that it would be presumptuous of me to add anything. I will try to sum it all up in one question, however. Casablanca is about a fundamental choice some people have to make at some crucial point in their lives. The question this film leaves us with is a difficult one. What is more important: finding love or fighting for freedom? 

Rick, the eternal cynic who did not stick his neck out for anyone, chose to fight for freedom. I am not sure what I would have done. Perhaps I would have chosen love. Maybe I am a wimp, or maybe I take freedom too much for granted, as I never had to fight a war for it.

Film review: Escape from Alcatraz (1979), by Don Siegel, *****

Synopsis

One of Clint Eastwood's two most important filmmaking mentors was Don Siegel (the other was Sergio Leone), who directed Eastwood in Dirty Harry, Coogan's Bluff, Two Mules for Sister Sara and this enigmatic, 1979 drama based on a true story about an escape from the island prison of Alcatraz. Eastwood plays a new convict who enters into a kind of mind game with the chilly warden (Patrick McGoohan) and organises a break leading into the treacherous waters off San Francisco. As jailbird movies go, this isn't just a grotty, unpleasant experience but a character-driven work with some haunting twists. --Tom Keogh for Amazon



Review

This is a great movie that entertains with lots of suspense while telling the real story of three inmates who pulled off the only successful escape from the notorious Alcatraz prison.

Eastwood is his usual self: cool, smart and cynical to the extreme, but also human. Highly recommended. Other supporting actors contribute to a great film.


Buy your European disc here



Buy your American disc or instant video here (PAY ATTENTION NOT TO BUY REGION 2 DVD FOR US)

Film review: The Burmese Harp (1956), by Kon Ichikawa, *****

Synopsis

A rhapsodic celebration of song, a brutal condemnation of wartime mentality, and a lyrical statement of hope within darkness; even amongst the riches of 1950s' Japanese cinema, The Burmese Harp, directed by Kon Ichikawa (Alone Across the Pacific, Tokyo Olympiad), stands as one of the finest achievements of its era.

Mizushima taught a Burmese boy to play his harp

At the close of World War II, a Japanese army regiment in Burma surrenders to the British. Private Mizushima is sent on a lone mission to persuade a trapped Japanese battalion to surrender also. When the outcome is a failure, he disguises himself in the robes of a Buddhist monk in hope of temporary anonymity as he journeys across the landscape but he underestimates the power of his assumed role.

A visually extraordinary and deeply moving vision of horror, necessity, and redemption in the aftermath of war, Ichikawa's breakthrough film is one of the great humanitarian affirmations of the cinema.

Nominated for a Best Foreign Language Film Oscar and honoured at the Venice Film Festival. You can watch a trailer here.

Film review: Outsourced (2010) by John Jeffcoat, ****

Time magazine cover, 2006

Synopsis

Todd Anderson (Josh Hamilton) spends his days managing a call centre in Seattle until he gets the bad news from his boss his job has been outsourced to India. Adding insult to injury, Todd must travel to India to train his new replacement. He expects the worst experience of his life, and it certainly begins that way! As he navigates through the chaos of Bombay and an office paralyzed by constant cultural misunderstandings, Todd yearns to return to the comforts of home. But it is through his team of quirky yet likable Indian call centre workers, including his friendly and motivated replacement, Puro (Asif Basra), and the charming, opinionated Asha (Ayesha Dharker), that Todd realizes that he too has a lot to learn - not only about India and America, but about himself. He soon discovers that being outsourced may be the best thing that ever happened to him.

Recensione: "Il mio cuore è più stanco della mia voce" (2012 postumo) di Oriana Fallaci, ****

Fallaci in Vietnam

Sinossi

Prima il Vietnam, poi Città del Messico e infine la storia d’amore con Alekos Panagulis, eroe della Resistenza greca, simbolo dell’opposizione a qualunque regime liberticida. (Puoi leggere le sue poesie qui.) Dopo la pubblicazione di Un Uomo, Oriana riesce a creare un incantamento globale: vorrebbero essere come lei i tanti giovani e molte donne, per le quali la scrittrice rappresenta la realizzazione di un sogno.

In quegli anni Fallaci accetta i sempre più frequenti inviti a incontrare i suoi lettori stranieri, nelle città e nelle università del mondo. Questo libro raccoglie alcune delle sue conferenze di maggior rilievo, pagine rimaste finora inedite che rivelano il suo rapporto con la scrittura, la sua passione per la politica e per l’impegno civile, la sua “ossessione per la libertà”.

È il suo autoritratto più autentico, una sorta di manifesto in cui Oriana rivendica e difende con vigore il diritto a “stare dalla parte dell’umanità, suggerire i cambiamenti, innamorarci dei buoni cambiamenti, influenzare un futuro che sia un futuro migliore del presente” (dalla sovracoperta del libro)

Ad Oriana Fallaci  è dedicato un sito web.

Alla biglietteria del trenino di Fiumicino aeroporto (seconda puntata)

Biglietteria automatica n. 1

Rieccomi a cercare di fare un biglietto alla stazione del trenino che da Fiumicino mi porterà in città. Ci avevo già provato, senza successo, l'ultima volta che ero venuto a Roma, qualche settimana fa. Stavolta la terribile macchina bigliettatrice automatica mi ha accolto così come si può vedere nella foto qui sopra. Nessuna connessione al sistema. Almeno non mi ha chiesto se volevo comunque pagare il prezzo del biglietto senza riceverlo, come l'altra volta.

Biglietteria automatica n. 2

Indomito, mi sono recato presso un'altra biglietteria automatica poco lontano, ed ecco qui sopra il risultato. La macchina si connette al sistema ma si rifiuta di vendermi un biglietto per i prossimi treni: "non vendibile". Forse è regalabile? Rubabile? Mah!

A quel punto ho notato due biglietterie umane e mi sono avvicinato. Davanti alla prima una lunga fila, mentre nessuno davanti all'altra. Provo a comprare un biglietto dalla bigliettaia senza fila e la gentile signorina mi chiede 16 euro. Sapevo che il biglietto costava 14 euro, e le ho chiesto spiegazioni. Mi ha risposto che quello è il prezzo della biglietteria pubblica, noi siamo privati e lo vendiamo a 16 euro! Per chi fosse interessato a spendere 2 euro in più per il biglietto l'agenzia si chiama "365".

Rassegnato, ho fatto la fila alla biglietteria pubblica, impiegando circa dieci minuti. Infatti il bigliettaio di turno, con il suo stentato inglese, stava cercando di rimorchiare due ragazze russe che gli chiedevano informazioni. Il tutto mi ha fatto perdere il primo treno per Termini, che la lasciato il binario davanti al mio naso. Ho dovuto aspettare ancora mezz'ora, in piedi, nel terminal non riscaldato, prima di salire sull'agognato trenino Leonardo Express.

Per rasserenarci ecco un paio di bei libri sui treni del tempo che fu!

Film review: Memoirs of a Geisha (2005) by Rob Marshall, *****

Synopsis

An adaptation of Arthur Golden's best-selling novel by the director of Chicago, Rob Marshall, transports us into a mysterious and exotic world that casts a potent spell. A Cinderella story like no other, Memoirs of a Geisha stars Ziyi Zhang, Ken Watanabe, Michelle Yeoh and Gong Li.

The director of Chicago, Rob Marshall, transports us into a mysterious and exotic world that casts a potent spell. A Cinderella story like no other, this film takes the viewer to Japan in the late 1930s to discover what role geishas played in high society. We can follow the life of a young girl whose family sells to be a maiko (apprentice geisha) in an okiya, a geisha house. She has to put up with a lot (jealousy, competition, envy) before finally becoming a full geisha.


Review

Wonderful photography in this film, not hard to guess it won Dion Beebe a cinematography Oscar. Ditto for the costumes by Colleen Atwood. It is a long film, but it flows fast and you are left at the end wanting for more.

The film has been banned in China as too sensitive, probably because of Chinese actresses being employed in the role of geishas, seen as degrading in China.

Memorable quote, the Chairman to Sayuri: «We must not expect happiness, Sayuri. It is not something we deserve. When life goes well, it is a sudden gift; it cannot last forever!»

Bonus contents are also very well made and add a lot of value to this BD:
-Geisha Bootcamp (See how the actresses became geishas),
-Building the Hanamachi (Behind-the-scene documentary),
-The Look of a Geisha (Inside the wardrobe and make-up),
-The music (composer John Williams take you through his approach to the score),
-and other background material on Japan and "making of" the film.

Buy your European BD here.




Buy your US BD here


You can buy the book on which this film is based here

Film review: Born into Brothels (2004) by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman, ****

"Running" by Gour, 13 years old

Synopsis

The most stigmatized people in Calcutta's red light district are not the prostitutes, but their children. In the face of abject poverty, abuse, and despair, these kids have little possibility of escaping their mother's fate or for creating another type of life. Directors Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman chronicle the amazing transformation of the children they come to know in the red light district. Briski, a professional photographer, gives them lessons and cameras, igniting latent sparks of artistic genius that reside in these children who live in the most sordid and seemingly hopeless world. The photographs taken by the children are not merely examples of remarkable observation and talent; they reflect something much larger, morally encouraging, and even politically volatile: art as an immensely liberating and empowering force.

The winner of the 77th annual Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, Born into Brothels offers a tribute to the resiliency of childhood and the restorative power of art. Devoid of sentimentality, Born into Brothels defies the typical tear-stained tourist snapshot of the global underbelly. Briski spends years with these kids and becomes part of their lives. Their photographs are prisms into their souls, rather than anthropological curiosities or primitive imagery, and a true testimony of the power of the indelible creative spirit.

Film Review: Confucius (2010) by Hu Mei, ****

Synopsis

From the acclaimed producer of John Woos Red Cliff and Jet Lis Warlords, comes this powerhouse biopic of the legendary Chinese philosopher, Confucius.

In 500 B.C., during China's Spring and Autumn Period, Kong Ze (Confucius), a commoner reverred for his outstanding wisdom, is made Minister of Law in the ancient Kingdom of Lu. Under his inspired leadership, Lu ascends to new heights but becomes a target of conquest for the warlike nation of Qi. Threatened with annihilation by their powerful neighbour, a desperate people turn to their greatest teacher to lead their most powerful army. When Confucius delivers a stunning victory against all odds, a jealous aristocracy sets out to destroy him, but they under-estimated a remarkable man whose wisdom is more powerful than the sword.

With breathtaking cinematography from Oscar-winning director of photography, Peter Pau (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Confucius is a compelling invitation to discover the remarkable story of one of history's greatest heroes.

Review

An impressive big budget movie that will teach you a lot about Confucius and China in the VI-V centuries B.C. Huge sets have been build to replicate imperial palaces and other scenery. Acting is excellent, with Chow Yun-fat at his best.

The script is a bit confusing however, maybe it needs to be watched a few times. Too many intrigues and intertwined stories make it hard to follow.


For travelers, the most famous of innumerable quotes by Confucius is «A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.»

You can watch the theatrical trailer here.

You can see a selection of movies on China I have reviewed on this blog here.

Film review: The Thin Red Line (1998), by Terrence Malick, ****

Synopsis

After directing two of the most extraordinary movies of the 1970s, Badlands and Days of Heaven, American artist Terrence Malick disappeared from the film world for twenty years, only to resurface in 1998 with this visionary adaptation of James Jones’s 1962 novel about the World War II battle for Guadalcanal. A big-budget, spectacularly mounted epic, The Thin Red Line is also one of the most deeply philosophical films ever released by a major Hollywood studio, a thought-provoking meditation on man, nature, and violence. Featuring a cast of contemporary cinema’s finest actors—Sean Penn (Dead Man Walking, Milk), Nick Nolte (The Prince of Tides, Affliction), Elias Koteas (Zodiac, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), and Woody Harrelson (Natural Born Killers, The People vs. Larry Flynt) among them—The Thin Red Line is a kaleidoscopic evocation of the experience of combat that ranks as one of cinema’s greatest war films.

Film Review: September (1987), by Woody Allen, ***

Synopsis

It is late summer, and Lane (Mia Farrow), still fragile after a nervous breakdown, is staying at her childhood home in Vermont. She has been having an affair with Peter (Sam Waterston), a writer who lives nearby, but now relations between them seem to have inexplicably cooled. When Lane's mother (Elaine Stritch) arrives with unexpected news, and the fate of her relationship with Peter becomes clear, Lane's emotional world is thrown into turmoil once again. Written and directed by Woody Allen.


Review

Another Allen movie about the volatility and relative meaninglessness of it all, September is not as rich of dry humor and effective punch lines as some of his other films. He investigates jealousy, bitterness, betrayal, love, but it is all not as deep as seen elsewhere in Allen's prolific filmography.

My favorite quote: "Universe is haphazard, morally neutral and unimaginably violent." I tend to agree. Watch the clip below.




I got this movie in this box set

Saluti da Bologna!

Le tre "T" di Bologna

Da notare che i veri tortellini sono quelli a sinistra, della grandezza canonica dell'ombelico di Venere. Il ripieno può essere di prosciutto, mortadella, uovo, parmigiano e noce moscata. Quelli a destra sono cappelletti romagnoli, più grandi e di solito ripieni di carne bovina.

In particolare consiglio l'osteria dei Poeti e, fuori concorso per chi cerca la cucina locale, il ristorante spagnolo di Juan Alberto.

Chandra Raga a Bologna

Durante il mio soggiorno ho anche avuto la fortuna di assistere ad un bel concerto di musica indiana con Paolo Avanzo e Stefano Grazia. Il tutto preceduto da un'ottima cena indiana al Centro Natura. Questo è un estratto di un concerto simile dei due musicisti su Youtube.

A Bologna lo spettacolo è stato completato da danze Bharatanatyam di Alessandra Pizza.

In conclusione: tutto vero, le tre T sono un mito! Gran bel weekend a Bologna. Ho anche trovato in saldo due paia di stivali taglia 39, che faccio sempre fatica a reperire. Da ritornarci presto!

Alla stazione ferroviaria dell'aeroporto di Fiumicino

Biglietteria automatica

Questo è ciò che la macchina bigliettatrice del treno per l'aeroporto di Fiumicino mi ha chiesto dopo aver letto la mia carta di credito. In altre parole: vuoi pagare il biglietto senza riceverlo? Ho avuto un dubbio amletico sul da farsi.

Tra l'altro la domanda mi è stata posta in italiano nonostante io abbia selezionato l'inglese per effettuare la transazione. Se al posto mio ci fosse stato uno straniero che non parlava italiano magari si sarebbe fatto addebitare il costo del biglietto senza poi poterlo ritirare! 

Per rasserenarci ecco un paio di bei libri sui treni del tempo che fu!

Films about India

Eternal work in progress, these are the best film about India I have seen...



Born into Brothels (2004) by Zana Briski and Ross Kauffman. Some children of prostitutes find a new life in photography.

Earth (1998) by Deepa Mehta. Harrowing story about the 1947 partition.

Fire (1996), by Deepa Mehta. Two women find freedom and love in traditional India.

Himalaya: the Forgotten Valleys by Guy Costieux. Life in the Buddhist mountains of Northern India.

Kama Sutra, a Tale of Love (1997) by Mira Nair. Love, mysticism and tradition in classical India.

Like Stars on Earth (2007) by Aamir Khan. Success of a child one considered a problem.

Mississippi Masala (1991) by Mira Nair. Romance between races and the American melting pot.

Namesake (2006) by Mira Nair. Family values and Indian immigration to the US in the 1970s.

Outsourced (2010) by John Jeffcoat. Losing your job because the company is outsourciing to India might be the best thing that ever happened to you!

Salaam Bombay (1988) by Mira Nair. Drugs and prostitution in the glittering economic capital of India.

Water (2006) by Deepa Mehta. The desperate plight of widows in traditional India.

Book review: Complete Notes from Singapore (2010) by Neil Humphreys, ***

Singapore skyline and the Merlion

Sinopsys

In 1996, Neil Humphreys decided to travel the world. He ended up in Singapore.

His first book, "Notes from an even Smaller Island", became an immediate best-seller in 2001. Humphreys' travelling companion, Scott, said it was a load of bollocks.

In 2003, his second book, "Scribbles from the Same Island", a compilation of his popular humour columns in WEEKEND TODAY, was launched in Singapore and Malaysia and also became an immediate best-seller.

In 2006, he published "Final Notes from a Great Island: A Farewell Tour of Singapore" completed the trilogy. The book went straight to No.1 and decided to stay there for a few months. Having run out of ways to squeeze island into a book title, Humphreys moved to Geelong, Australia. He now writes for several magazines and newspapers in Singapore and Australia and spends his weekends happily looking for echidnas and platypuses. But he still really misses roti prata.