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jsegurola
Reviews
Pasqualino Settebellezze (1975)
Good, Undirty Fun
This movie is a 9, running into a 10, when it comes to rating top films ever, across all genres. Director Wertmüller runs you through some indeed obscure dips of human cross, while you are actually laughing your eyes off. And it all happens at the tracked speed and vigor of a lopsided roller coasting thriller steeped with all manners of humor. It may be a mistake to attempt any proper review of the film by setting it into a particular geographic or historic time frame. As regards its sexual overtures, Ebert himself cons "- in what's easily the least erotic sex scene ever filmed". Ebert was not downplaying the director's mastery. The character in point was attempting to seduce a female prison commandant on the recollection of his mother's advise that even the most inaccessible of women can be reached through a hit to the heart. Of course he worked at it, and even worked all over her, but of course it did not work. Very, very good film. Was nominate for 4 Oscars. Should have won 5.
Fidel (2001)
A Docmentary not only on the Eyes of the Beholder
Not everyone's piece of cake, paradoxically,teaches much about the US's own propaganda efforts, by depicting Cuba's attempt at countering it with its own pro-Fidel twist.
Not a movie that will be taken lightly by Cuban exiles, but good documentary sequences by themselves make it worthwhile. And some previously undisclosed information on the USA-Soviet Union accord which lead to the 1963 missile disarmament in Cuba in exchange for the US withdrawal of its Turkey stationed missiles and agreement not to invade Cuba.
Of course, this accord did not cover the numerous attempts at Fidel's assassination by the CIA, as well as the US execution of Chile's democratically elected President Allende, facts now overtly displayed in the CIA's Washington DC museum.
Makes one wonder. There is no Universal good country or bad country. Even visions of the conflicts between cowboys and Indians were much tainted by shining badges under broad white hats imposing justice at a rope's end to the original American savages. Politically incorrect term Natives seems to be much in vogue, deep roots of prejudice, notwithstanding.
Sanford and Son (1972)
Mixing Archie Bunker with vintage Cosby
Don't know the extent of Foxx's input on the scripts (he is credited) but you can see his hand all over the place. It's like Archie Bunker in the wits of vintage Bill Cosby genious, -(Rememeber Cosby's visit to the dentist monologue and "To Russell My Brother...",) but Cosby's extraordinary humor was always Jello clean... Foxx saw not that line.
According to IMDB "The big one" finally did him. But not before he made his mark. And of the kind that a decade earlier was only being done by Lenny Bruce and, today, Chris Rock. Don Rickles had license to use it all throughout... A great performance by Foxx and Grady (Mayo), cashing in on the Sanford "Empire". A nice fun show. One of few really Big Ones.
Los peloteros (1951)
This is a Film
This isn't just a movie, this is a film. Shows all the sorts of colors that a perceptive mind can capture in black and white. Rivero's acting is so good you don't see he's doing it. Director Delano, whose more notable works are ventures in still photography, translates his dedication to realism to a well written theme set in a small town 1950's Puerto Rico. The film is all about the texture that can be made of every day life. And brings not a boring moment. Somewhere there it touches De Sica's Ladri di Biciclette, no direct comparison is pretended, but the touch is there.
What a loss that it is still not available on broader based VHS or DVD medium. Its brilliance to be unearthed by another generation.