Over the past few weeks I have watched sort of an amalgam of films. I haven’t been in any particular mood to watch a certain genre exclusively, as I am prone to do, so this list kind of all over the place. Some of the movies I have seen were truly great and the others, not so much. Here’s what I have been watching lately, and what rating I think it deserves out of 5 stars.
#1. Marriage Italian Style
Starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni. Directed by Vittorio de Sica. 1964
This comedy, set in post-WWII Italy, centers on the relationship between a prostitute, Filumena, and her rich client, Domenico. Throughout the course of the film, the roles of dominance and submissiveness are continually reversed between the two. Despite the many decades enduring their tumultuous relationship, Filumena finally gets her way, and she and Domenico live happily ever after, hopefully.
There are many aspects of this movie that I quite liked and found entirely entertaining. Overall, this film is funny. The dialogue is quick witted and Filumena’s plot to finally get Domenico to marry her is singularly the best part of the entire film, in my opinion.
Despite the overall toxicity of Filumena and Domenico’s relationship, the two still have great chemistry. The dynamics of their relationship, basically Domenico coming and going as he pleases and leaving Filumena continually heartbroken, are reminiscent of Carrie Bradshaw and Mr. Big’s on-again, off-again relationship as displayed in Sex and the City. This film, though a comedy, does a great job of accurately portraying an ultimately unsatisfying and unhealthy relationship, and I found myself being able to relate to much of Filumena’s sadness; whether she was being treated unkindly or clearly just being used. I’m sure everyone could relate to at least one aspect of this film in terms of dealing with an insensitive or, even, heartless significant other/ lover/ person of interest. This relatability gives the film so much more depth as it’s not just simply funny, but true to real life as well.
Personally, I love the way this film looks overall. I don’t know what it is about movies made in the 1960s, but the colors come across so much more vibrant than usual, which also highlights just how vibrant Loren and Mastroianni’s characters are, especially Loren’s. I also really love how the director used Filumena as a way to show how love and heartache takes its toll on a person. With the story being told chronologically, the audience gets to see just how outgoing Filumena was when she was younger, and how, gradually, she becomes a tired, bitter woman because of Domenico. Again, this just reinforces the overall relatability of this film. Young love is always so lively and enchanting in the beginning, but gradually, as heartache take its toll, it takes back a lot of that liveliness and gaiety that was once felt and the end result looks and sounds much like Filumena does by the end of the film, tired and sad.
The only aspect of the film that I did not care for much was the revelation and subsequent integration of Filumena’s sons. I thought this was mostly an unnecessary addition to the film, that also signaled a lot of change to the comedic aspect of the film. With the addition of her sons, the attention that is focused to both Filumena and Domenico has to now be diverted to her children, which makes the rest of the movie kind of boring. Loren’s character is much more enjoyable to watch when she is playing the role of prostitute or mistress, than that of mother. Since the two main characters have so much chemistry and Loren and Mastroianni are such great actors, the addition of her children is just unwelcome and ends up dampening both the chemistry between the two main characters, and the rest of the film as a whole. When you watch this film, you want to see Filumena and Domenico get into such passionate fights, and then make up and become this lovely couple, you don’t want to watch them play house, it just seems unnatural and uncharacteristic for them to become so mature.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. It was funny and touching, the two main characters were passionate and charismatic, and the story itself was quite relatable. I would most definitely watch this again.
Rank: 4 out of 5 stars
#2. The Edge of Love
Starring Keira Knightley, Sienna Miller, Cillian Murphy. Directed by John Maybury. 2008
The Edge of Love is a story that revolves around the trials and tribulations of love, basically. Dylan (Matthew Rhys), the man at the epicenter of this drama, once loved Vera (Keira Knightley), who is now a singer, but he is married to Caitlin (Sienna Miller). Vera and Dylan obviously feel a connection once they reunite, but can’t act upon it. Vera then starts dating William (Cillian Murphy), a soldier, who is infatuated with her. Once WWII breaks out though, William is sent to war, while Caitlin, Vera, and Dylan retreat to the Welsh countryside where mischief quickly ensues.
Overall, I really did not care for this film, despite wanting to, badly. The mere presence of Keira Knightley and Cillian Murphy should be enough to make any movie reasonably great, but even they could not save this mess. The story itself was convoluted and predictable, the characters were all rather unlikable and narcissistic, save for William, and the “dramatic” scene towards the end of the film lacked drama to me, personally. By the film’s end, I was hard pressed to come up with a point to this story, and I still can’t. The story line was just too messy to make sense of and, without any characters that are worth caring about, the audience just has less of a reason to try and work out what the story is about and what the general message is. I feel as though the writers of the film sorely missed the mark in this film, and the story itself shouldn’t have left the writers room without a clear story line in order to accommodate the entire film, much less have been made in the first place.
Though there was much I didn’t care for in the film, there were some tiny rays of hope sprinkled throughout. I think the costume department did a great job of styling Vera and Caitlin. The clothes felt true to the time period and conveyed the characters emotional states as well.
The countryside, particularly the cliffside where Vera, Caitlin, and Dylan lived, was really beautiful. The beauty of the scenery really helped to detract from the mess of the story. At times, the camera work was done very well. I thought that the gauzy effect that was used on Vera a few times really captured the nonchalance of both the times and the characters. Without the stress of actual war, people could feel happy and at ease, for a time, and these characters, who don’t seem to care much about anyone other than themselves, display an air of nonchalance throughout the entirety of the film.
I also found that Vera and Caitlin’s friendship was fun to watch, at times, as well. Again their chemistry and care free attitudes helped distract from the lack of a clear story line.
I probably wouldn’t watch this film again. It wasn’t the worst film I’ve ever seen, but it’s not one that I would waste my time watching again. Though not every movie really needs to have a “point”, if the film isn’t well told and the characters are completely unlikable, there needs to be some kind of worthy aspect of the film because really, what’s the point of even watching it then?
Rank: 2 out of 5 stars
#3. Alfie
Starring Michael Caine and Shelley Winters. Directed by Lewis Gilbert. 1966
Alfie, played by Michael Caine, is a film about a British playboy who sees women as objects and nothing more. After the women he’s with leave him or become disenchanted by his charms, Alfie finally comes to the realization that he has done wrong, and slowly changes his ways.
Overall, I do like this movie, now having watched it twice, but it is definitely hard to watch. The way Alfie talks about women, the way he treats them, and even refers to them as “it”, is nothing short of disgusting and anger inducing. This clip in particular is a great example of the sexism in this film.
If you are able to somehow ignore the in-your-face misogyny, which, again, is quite difficult, then you can see just how interesting this movie is, in a sociological sense. Underneath his wannabe Bond veneer, Alfie becomes a living enactment of the manipulative tendencies people exhibit to get what they want. Depending on the woman’s level of confidence, Alfie gauges what tools he should use to seduce and then keep the woman in question, which range from intimidation to flattery. It’s also interesting to see how inflated his ego becomes when he has entranced women who are obviously without self esteem. When he does encounter a woman with confidence like Ruby, he clearly displays more respect for her because he sees her as his equal and worthy competitor. Basically, this movie is a honed in look at the fall of man. Once completely powerful and then, he becomes nothing. Though the misogynistic tones of this work are quite clear from the very beginning, all of the women that Alfie toys with do become empowered and independent, which is why I really like this movie. It’s nice to see the women he has seemingly destroyed, move on and become better and happier than ever.
As for the visual aspect of this film, it’s quite a treat to watch scenes of London from the 1960s, as well as the fashions. Having visited London a few times, it’s almost strange to be in the exact spot that Michael Caine was while shooting this film 50 years prior. Not to mention, Shelley Winters, who plays the illusive Ruby, a female version of Alfie, is fantastic and does a great job in finally bringing Alfie’s reign over women to a screeching halt.
There isn’t much that I don’t like about this movie, per say, but it isn’t one of the best movies I have ever seen. Michael Caine does a great job of playing such a despicable character and the story itself is interesting and maintains your attention easily. I was also surprised by how open the film was about sex and abortion. Obviously, the 1960s were a time of sexual liberation, but I was still slightly gobsmacked by the actual abortion scene. Overall, this is a good, retro kind of movie to watch.
Rank: 3.5 out of 5 stars
#4. The Painted Veil
Starring Naomi Watts and Edward Norton. Directed by John Curran. 2006
This drama centers on the crumbling marriage of Dr. Fane, played by Edward Norton, and Kitty, played by Naomi Watts, while trying to combat a cholera outbreak in rural China. In light of the life threatening and serious circumstances the couple eventually finds a way to truly love each other.
What I mostly liked about this film was the subject matter. I have never before seen a film set in rural China in the 1920s. I have also never seen a film that focuses entirely on cholera, or a serious disease outbreak before either, so overall this made the film quite interesting to watch and made it unique. I also thought that the scenery in this movie was quite beautiful. Again, I’ve never seen an American/ British film set entirely in China before and I was pleasantly surprised by how stunning the surrounding landscape was. Overall, I feel that this is a very different kind of period piece, in terms of setting and subject matter, which was, ultimately, refreshing.
Despite all of this, there was a lot I did not like about this film. Though the characters, I must assume, are all supposed to be completely unlikable, I felt that they were too unlikable. Dr. Fane came off as socially awkward, cold, and, at times, cruel and Kitty seemed witless, narcissistic, and immature. Eventually, these characters soften and become more likable, but not until the end of the film. By that time, it was too late for me to really care about them and the state of their relationship.
The pacing of the story also felt off. Kitty and Dr. Fane meet, instantly marry, move to China, and then she cheats on him. This all happens within the first 15-20 minutes of the film. The rest of the film then focuses on Dr. Fane basically punishing Kitty for what she did which goes on for about an hour and a half. We, the audience, know nothing about these characters, we know nothing about their personalities or their backstories. We are just forced to watch the ugliness in each of them seep out and basically drown the film in tension and resentment. By the end of the film, when they finally learn to love each other, I felt that it was too little too late; there wasn’t enough time for me to change my opinions about these characters, so their newfound love for each other left me feeling unenthused. I think the writers and the director should have spent more time developing the characters and their relationship, and then build up to Kitty’s betrayal, so that the audience can at least side with someone. With the way it’s filmed, I feel like I don’t know these people at all, and then when she cheats on her husband, I feel more like an innocent bystander, than a witness.
The topic of British imperialism was also brought up a lot as well, but was never fully explored. The Chinese villagers that Dr. Fane tried to help are clearly sick of the English. If something could have been done to highlight this anger and these racial tensions, I think that this could have given the movie more of an edge. A disintegrating marriage can only carry a story for so long until it feels monotonous and boring. A story about a couple in a loveless marriage, trying to survive within a cholera stricken town amidst heightened racial tensions sounds so much more complex. Each issue has its own sense of urgency, as they all need to be resolved accordingly, and ultimately Kitty and Dr. Fane would realize that their petty arguments shouldn’t matter in the face of certain death. This sounds way more interesting than what this film portrayed.
I probably wouldn’t watch this film again, though I may read the novel out of curiosity. Overall, the film’s story just gets old and by the time the audience is meant to care about the couple finally reuniting, I find that I truly don’t.
Rank: 2.5 out of 5 stars
These are just some of the films I have been watching lately. None of them were truly fantastic, but I felt it necessary to give each of them a chance. My next post will definitely feature more movies that I would highly recommend watching. Thanks for reading!
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