Dir. Giacomo Campiotti
St. Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Giancarlo Giannini, Valeria Golino, Ignazio Oliva
Rated M15+
Opens August 27th at Palace Norton Street Cinema

The director dreams of epics, of family struggles, sweeping emotions and cinematography to mercilessly drool over. Oh folly, humble folly! The crowd sits with complimentary beverages, renewing the sixth floor ascendent conversation of films half-seen and thought of less. I find a seat, thumb my novel, thinking "That Lenny Bruce sure is a funny fellow". The movie starts, and I'll be brief. Deep anger, nice landscapes and flashbacks in black and white. The sepia creepy crawls, threatening in faintly disguised sentimentality. I have memories of a sled, fear abundant, reading much of the night and going south in the winter. And remember: A man who has lost the power to love with a passion...still has the power to hate with a vengeance. Add a Golden Globe and twenty minutes of the woman who popped an olive into her mouth with her belly button in Hot Shots. Adult Themes, Low Level Coarse Language. Why is such mediocrity foisted upon the public at a time when there are so many worthy films that don't get released, for example those shown at the Film Festival? Perhaps it was deemed important for the opening of the distributor's new cinemas in Leichardt, Sydney's Italian Quarter. Alternatively, a night with popcorn and Spiceworld on video is highly recomended. Posh Spice in a army-camouflaged Gucci dress is without a doubt one of the highlights of the cinematographic year. Goddamn.

ursula hackett
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