basics...
A curious movie, set in the 1300's, in which monk William of Baskerville (Sean Connery) and his novice Adso (Christian Slater) find themselves in an abbey where a series of murders seems to be linked to a mysterious book.
brilliant...
I've not seen a film quite like The Name of the Rose. It has a serious crime story coupled with comedy from Sir Sean, alongside a host of grotesque supporting turns from the likes of Ron Perlman's hunchback, with a bit of sex and gore thrown in. Oh and there's a great sequence within the labyrinthe passages and MC Escher-like stairways within the abbey. Somehow these disperate elements combine to form an intriguing whole. The mystery works for the most part, although the revelation of how the murders have been committed and why isn't particularly exciting. The film looks pretty stunning, with the German and Italian countryside doing a good job alongside the massive sets to make Rose look gritty, cold and fairly grim. 17 year old Slater looks mighty fine, despite the pudding bowl haircut, in a completely unnecessary seducation scene too.
but...
Connery keeps his Scottish burr, Slater is American, and the other monks spout a variety of European accents. This is a bit jarring, particularly as Shir Shean plays everything with an effortless grin which makes his investigations look all too easy. There were some rather unpleasant effects involving blood and guts too.
briefly...
An oddly likable movie with some neat ideas and authentic-seeming settings, even if the accents are a bit wide ranging.
basics...
One of few Italian films I've seen (I'm struggling to think of others, but there must be some), Gomorrah is a dark, multi-stranded tale based on the real-life Camorra crime syndicate.
brilliant...
Reminiscent of the gritty, no-holds-barred Brazilian City of God, Gomorrah is not as easy film to like. There is no lead protagonist, instead the film follows several stories that inter-weave to varying degrees, taking in the corrupt dealings within waste management; gang culture and society, as seen through a tweenage recruit; an aged money man; and a hapless pair who choose to lead a volatile existence outside the mob, and end up paying for their lack of loyalty with their lives. Filmed in some horrible, run down locations, Gomorrah is intriguing and occasionally funny, and often very violent, painting a particularly bleak picture of the culture depicted. The realism and (presumable) authenticity of the settings and stories makes for a thought-provoking drama.
but...
Inevitably, following several strands, it's hard to find characters to invest in, although young Toto (Salvatore Abruzzese), 13-years old, wide-eyed but not so innocent stands out as an outside looking in, serving as a somewhat sympathetic conduit for the viewer. Since this is a film about the Italian mob, it's hyper-masculine and there are few female characters to mention. Gomorrah isn't a film to enjoy, rather one to admire as a piece of modern anti-mob 'propaganda'.
briefly...
Gritty realism uncovering a dark corner of Italian society.
Last year we watched a lot of Wallander, the Swedish detective, to begin this year we saw Zen, an Italian detective. Except he's not really. He's Rufus Sewell and he speaks English with nary a hint of an Italian accent. Only the regular female characters are Italian, and then not all of them. This 3-part detective series was based on novels by Michael Dibdin (I've never heard of him either) which feature protagonist Aurelio Zen and are set in Italy.
05/03/11 Update: The BBC has confirmed that they won't be bringing Zen back. But there's a chance he'll be back on a different channel.
