A review of Sergio Citti's "Vipera" [2000 Italy]

Sergio Citti is mostly remembered as a writer, for his collaboration with many Italian greats such as Pier Paolo Pasolini and Ettore Scola. But he was also a gifted, if slightly underrated director, with a style noticeably influenced by the above two directors, particularly visible in one of his last films, "Vipera" [Eng. Title: Viper].

Set in 1940's and 50's Sicily (Paternò), we follow the fortunes of Rosetta from the time she's twelve (Larissa Volpentesta) and living with her drunken father Leone (Harvey Keitel) - he'd turned to alcohol to forget Rosetta's mother, Vipera (Elide Melli), after she ran away with a fascist some time ago. Little Rosetta's fortunes turn for the worse when she's raped and made pregnant by another former fascist (Giancarlo Giannini), and Leone also dies after falling from his bicycle. She's sent to live in a convent until the age of twenty one, and her newborn child will cruelly be adopted out by her visiting mother.

By the time she's let out of the convent, Rosetta is a young woman (Annalisa Schettino). She goes in search of her mother, hoping to find her baby there. Instead she finds a Vipera even more delusional than before, believing she's still the item that she once was. Rosetta's son isn't to be found - Vipera, a former dancer, had been nicknamed a whore by many back in the village, but that's giving whores a bad name. She had abandoned Rosetta's baby altogether and gives no explanation for her actions. When Rosetta decides to leave, Vipera completely looses her mind and throws herself naked on the street spread-eagled, in pouring rain, calling on every man in town to take her. Rosetta keeps walking...

The storyline may sound dreary and heartbreaking - it actually is for a good two-thirds of the film, and Citti is relentlessly unapologetic and ruthless in the way he handles his subject, showing the misery and hopelessness for what it used to be. But then again, it ends in the most fortuitous manner, with a touch of poetic flair even, when Rosetta not only finds her lost son but also witness her late father's dream become real. One of the film's features is its rich contrast - the pure and trusting father-daughter relationship against the opportunistic village folk (and the rapist), the wicked mother against the kind whores who take pity on Rosetta, and Rosetta's innocence as a child against the strong willed person that the world had turned her into.

Another feature is the rich detail of Sicilian life from the period, from its ceremonies like communion and street parades, to people's ignorance and religious superstitions. The film may neither have award-winning performances, nor a proper reason for having Harvey Keitel in it, but it is well-conceived and thoroughly satisfying cinema nevertheless, largely because of the fine storytelling, detail, and thoughtful direction - reason enough to declare that it is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Elide Melli
Two scenes of Elide Melli feature nudity - the first is when her character forces Rosetta to feel her breasts to prove that she's still 'young' and desirable. The second is when she literally invites every man in town to have sex with her, by lying naked on the street, and in pouring rain - we don't see that every day, do we..!



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A film review: "Gloria" [2013 Chile]

"Gloria" is one more cinematic gem crafted in Chile this year that was written, directed, and co-produced by talented young film-maker Sebastián Lelio (also co-produced by Pablo Larrain).

The film is about its titular heroine Gloria (Paulina García), an independent woman in her late fifties who'd been divorced for a while and has two grown-up children living on their own. Lonely at times, more so because the children are also fiercely independent and do not want her involved in their personal lives, Gloria has to leave messages on their phone reminding them to call her. But rather than brood and complain, Gloria's approach to life is altogether upbeat - she goes out in the evenings, even if by herself, to dance and socialise with people, and seek companionship with men of her age. She may be past her youth and best looks, but she's a woman determinedly lapping up life to the best of her abilities, and enjoying every moment of it as they happen.

But Gloria is also not someone trying to rebel against old age, nor is she seeking anything other than conventional love - her musical tastes, mostly pop songs from yesteryears, vividly convey her aspirations. She'll find a man of her liking in Rodolfo (Sergio Hernández) - slightly older but divorced for just a year, with a still dependent ex wife and needy grown up daughters. The two embark on a passionate love affair, but it will become clearer by the day that whilst passion can kick-start a relationship, maintaining and building upon it by making compromises here and there is an altogether different matter...

The film's message is social rather than political. It is about a generation that doesn't believe that sex and passion should end at a certain age, wrinkles notwithstanding, and that it is perfectly acceptable to express one's sensuality and seek sexual intimacy during any stage of their lives. It is aptly conveyed through piercing visual commentary and a surprisingly mature characterisation that belies the director's young age. The middle-aged couple portrayed could be the viewer's father or mother, or themselves even - the dilemmas and issues that the characters go through would relate universally.

The film is made all the more remarkable thanks to extraordinary performances, particularly by Paulina García who even won a Silver Bear at this year's Berlinale, and her totally frank and brave sex scenes with Sergio Hernández - they're as honest and real as they could get - full of sensuality and immediacy. García, appearing in almost every frame, is the heart and soul of the film, and she carries her character so naturally that you don't see an actress but a very real woman. Her interpretation of Gloria, in nuance and style, is the female equivalent to Toni Servillo's Jep Gambardella in their quest for la dolce vita - together they should also share the honours for this year's finest performances in film. Highly Recommended Viewing..!

Amazon DVD Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Paulina García and Sergio Hernández
There are four scenes in the film that feature nudity from Paulina García - three of which are also highly sensual sex scenes that break new ground in the way mature sexuality is depicted in mainstream cinema without compromising its integrity.



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A review: "Sveti Georgije ubiva azdahu" [2008 Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina]

I'd been spending time improving on my Balkan history of late, which was one of the reasons I was drawn to Srdjan Dragojevic's wartime drama "Sveti Georgije ubiva azdahu" [Eng. Title: St. George Shoots the Dragon]. The fact that this was set against the backdrop of the very event that triggered the First World War - the assassination in Sarajevo of heir apparent to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, and the prospect of seeing things from a slightly different perspective was reason enough for me to pick up the DVD.

Returning from the 1912 war against the Turks are two Bosnian-Serb soldiers from the same village - George (Lazar Ristovski), and Gavrilo (Milutin Milosevic). Katarina (Natasa Janjic) - the girlfriend of Gavrilo, is at the railway station to receive him with a garland that she had personally made, but it is turned down by her lover. When asked why, Gavrilo shows her his amputated arm and tells her that he is not good enough for her any more, and urges her to offer the garland to George instead. Two years later, George has become a Sergeant and is married to Katarina, while Gavrilo - no longer in the army, makes a living with his brothers by smuggling goods across the border with Austro-Hungary. He is married to a simple woman named Jelena (Milena Predic).

Both former lovers are however not in love with their respective spouses, and they continue to meet clandestinely. George is aware of their ongoing affair, but dithers in asserting his authority, partly because of his respect for Gavrilo as a war hero, but mainly because he is unselfishly in love with Katarina and wants her to be happy in whatever way she can. The outbreak of World War One will throw the uneasy love triangle into turmoil. We even get to see Gavrilo's namesake - a student, hitching a ride with the smugglers to cross the border on a secret mission to assassinate Franz Ferdinand. After he succeeds and Austria declares war on Serbia, the village and its inhabitants will be the first in firing line, for the great war to follow...

Since the war is merely a backdrop for the protagonists' doomed love affairs, it is their personal drama that is played out to the full. But the drama is unsatisfactory and we're left with mixed feelings about the film which, while well made, suffers from a mediocre screenplay - we don't fully grasp the intentions and motivations for all the actions of Gavrilo (the lover) - his character is either performed poorly or not developed fully. Added to the intermittently bad subtitle synchronisation and/or translation in my DVD, the narrative gets lost to a foreign audience. But those from the former Yugoslavia might perhaps understand and appreciate the film a bit better.

DVD Order Link [PAL]

 

The Nudity: Natasa Janjic
There is brief nudity from pretty Natasa Janjic in two scenes - first when her character Katarina mockingly proves to husband George that the nude in one of her paintings is indeed a self portrait. The second is of Katarina and Gavrilo making love in the boat, watched by and commented from distance by his brothers.



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A review: "Spies & Glistrup" [2013 Denmark]

Cristoffer Boe (of Reconstruction fame) originally wanted to dramatise the life of late airline tycoon Simon Spies, but upon discovering the extraordinary friendship he also had with lawyer-turned-politician Mogens Glistrup, Boe decided to make a film about their relationship instead through "Spies & Glistrup" [Eng. Title: Sex, Drugs & Taxation].

Based on and inspired by true events, this is the tale of an unlikely friendship between two larger-than-life public figures from the swinging sixties - both of them radical and perverse in their different ways. Simon (Pilou Asbæk), owner of a budget holiday travel company, is playboy extraordinaire who's also soaked in drugs-culture. Mogens (Nicolas Bro - a regular in Boe's films) is a corporate tax lawyer and family man, but with a distinctly libertarian streak - he wants to abolish taxes and the entire state system that it funds. Driven by his anarchic vision, Mogens employs his knowledge of tax law to mastermind takeovers on behalf of Simon, and exploits loopholes that won't require Simon's company to pay tax. Simon meanwhile, succeeds in making his name and company popular by exploiting his own addiction to sex, by organising stunts in public, and calling in tabloid press photographers to watch him have sex with a number of willing prostitutes, assembly line-style, and grading their vaginas based on his findings. The shrewd family-minded Mogens and a fiendishly whore-mongering Simon will compliment their skills in making Simon a billionaire airlines magnate.

Having achieved what he wanted, Simon retreats to a Mediterranean island to experiment with LSD, transcendental meditation, and of course - plenty of sex, with his retinue of 'morgenbolledamer' (morning fuck/bun ladies). But for Mogens, it's only the beginning - he wants to abolish the tax system altogether, and goes public with the fact that he had been helping companies avoid paying tax. This will draw the attention of the judiciary, that will stir old rivalries, test friendships, strain family relationships, and induce betrayals. While being investigated for tax evasion, Mogens will start a political party of his own and will also become member of parliament, even if that wouldn't protect him from being prosecuted. Simon Spies and Mogens Glistrup are but a product of their times - each hoping to start a revolution of their own. And they almost succeed...

The film is magnificently crafted despite its straightforward narrative. Cristoffer Boe's sharp direction combined with his collaboration with screenwriter Simon Pasternak has produced an engaging film with a depth in characterisation. It is not only rich in detail, but also entertaining. The protagonists' unbelievably outrageous behaviour shocks as much as it induces laughter - whether it is flashing an erect penis to pacify a gorilla, calling the very idea of tax and government immoral, or interviewing prospective brides by stripping them naked and even trying them out for sex. It is even more shocking when we learn that these are broadly based on actual events. Pilou Asbæk and Nicolas Bro vividly bring to life the outlandish characters that they play. We are endeared to their characters despite their maniacal qualities. Boe succeeds in pushing the boundaries on what can be acceptably shown to a mainstream audience - there is drama, comedy, irony, and also explicit nudity - it is imprudent, but tawdry it ain't. It is Highly Recommended Viewing..!

DVD Order Link [PAL] | Blu-ray Order Link

 

The Nudity: Pilou Asbæk, Sarahsita Lassen, Pia Lund, Camilla Lehmann, and many more
Pilou Asbæk is spectacular, to put it mildly, as he struts around as the libidinous Simon Spies, the dirty middle-aged man (he's only thirty one by the way). As for the women, there are too many of them appearing in the nude, so I'm restricting the names to those who also have speaking parts. Sarahsita Lassen is Lillian, one of the girls Simon singles out for praise after an assembly-line sex session. Pia Lund is Dorte, one of the many applicants interviewed by Simon in trying to choose a future wife - his male assistants join in the inspection too. Camilla Lehmann plays Inger, a cute blond who briefly becomes Simon's live-in girlfriend - she apparently also makes the best pickles in Copenhagen. She's seen wearing only an apron in a kitchen scene, followed by a post-coital tender moment in bed with Simon, when she's completely in the nude.



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A brief review: "Cão Sem Dono" [2007 Brazil]

Beto Brant can be quite frustrating indeed - like the Italian director Dino Risi in some respects, there are moments in his films that can be utterly magical, but also moments when the screenplay meanders aimlessly and the characterisation gets clouded with unnecessary details. Co-directed by Renato Ciasca, his drama "Cão Sem Dono" [Eng. Title: Stray Dog] aims to be a study of disillusionment and alienation among urban youth, but strays off course for too long while failing to make the detour any interesting.

Unemployed Ciro (Júlio Andrade) is going through depression, and also seems to be suffering from an unknown illness. He wants to be a writer, but settles for the occasional translation work that he could get. His companion is a stray dog he'd picked up from the streets, and his only friend is a janitor whose paintings he's fascinated with. Into his dull life will arrive the young and vivacious Marcela (Tainá Müller) - an aspiring model hoping to make it in Barcelona. It's hard to gather what Marcela sees in Ciro, but she loves him passionately even if he hardly reciprocates with the same intensity - sometimes we get the impression that he'd have preferred her not falling in love with him. This will change when Marcela leaves him to receive treatment for a dangerous form of cancer that he never knew she had. Whilst living alone and fixing his parents' property, he descends into alcoholism after failing to locate Marcela's whereabouts. Upon overdosing on one occasion, his parents arrive on time for rescue, and take him back to live with them. Ciro recovers, and begins to learn living like a proper grown up...

This film could easily have been made a whole lot more better - there is after all something there to explore, but while there is the odd glimpse of Beto Brant's undoubted ability, it is far too sporadic to be of any interest. Many scenes are faded off even before they come to a logical end - it may have been intentional, but it ends up resembling flashes of memory from someone who had lost interest in it halfway and moves on to something else. Ciro is also not the most inspiring character I'd met in a film, and the only thing we look forward to is for his scene to end. I guess even fine directors are entitled to the occasional dud, if only to cleanse their system of mediocrity that tend to accumulate after success.

DVD Order Link
(It's a bizarre, single-layered 2-DVD set - all that the second DVD contains is a MP4 version for mobile devices and the Making-Of documentary)

 

The Nudity: Tainá Müller and Júlio Andrade
One thing Beto Brant has to be applauded for is his uncanny ability to unearth stunning leading ladies for his films. Gorgeous Tainá Müller makes her début here, and also bags a couple of awards for a very commendable performance. She appears nude alongside Andrade in three scenes, one of which is also surprisingly 'hands-on' - you'll know what I mean when you see it.



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