[Closed] Recent Viewing Part III

Wild Russia

A truly magnificent series I've just finished watching on the National Geographic channel. Amazing footage of the wildlife of this vast country. It was quite long (eight parts) which meant it was able to go into a bit more depth than the typical BBC "coffee table book" approach, and it was missing the gimmicks (all the time-lapse photography, the CG enhancements) which have been a feature of recent BBC wildlife programmes (which I still love, of course). HD television was made for stuff like this.

La Sconosciuta

Saw this last night. Tornatore, Morricone and Xenia Rappaport. Simply outstanding! It's a grim story of a woman with a troubled past who's desperately trying to find that one last thing of importance to her.
It's a different Tornatore film in the sense that it's a thriller with a narrative that throws a lot of quick cuts to disturbing flashbacks adding to the mystery which gradually gets resolved at the end.

Rappaport is stunning with a performance that I'd rate over Helen Mirren's Queen (the Oscar winner that year).

Morricone's score is perfect! A lot of it is unsettling owing to the grim nature of the film, but he hits all the tender moments with that heart-wrenchingly beautiful waltz/lullaby. I couldn't help but cry at the end. And after the credits I rewound back to the last minute of the movie and cried again. It's powerful. I then saw the entire director's commentary after that. Whoah! I am a sentimental mush.

The director's commentary is very informative and entertaining. Tornatore takes a dig at the reviewers who questioned the purpose and plausibility of certain scenes ('even my doorman understood that'). He asked Ennio to not use a thematic approach and instead to score each scene without any repeating themes (with some exceptions). The main waltz is what he and Ennio called 'The Strawberry theme'. He was also amazed at how Ennio wrote an entire theme on the spot, in front of the orchestra when Tornatore felt that a piece wasn't working. They have a lot of love and respect for each other!

All in all, a satisfying Morricone birthday celebration for me!

Yes, about two years ago. By the way, it's a very-very good movie. And I also love the score even though the majority of it is not an easy listen. But the movie is not an easy film either.

is it better than Baaria?

I like Baaria a lot, but I think La Sconosciuta is probably the last Morricone score that truly blew me away.

Yes, I remember your review of it. I also like it a lot, and I say it again, it's tailor-made for the movie, but I still prefer the more melodic side of the Maestro.

^
Answer to James

Has anyone seen 'Red Cliff'?????

Well, it is going to get reviewed by me without benefit of having seen the film.
Thomas

I strongly agree. Clooney is a great actor all around, but he really shines in comedies. I thought Leatherheads was such an enjoyable film!

I just saw The Visitor. It was a very well made film. The acting was very good - nothing over-the-top. They seemed like very real people. It was simple but very compelling story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also really appreciated Kaczmarek's score. It was so smart. As long as the main character was in his samey life the score was very piano dominated with classical western structure (fitting given what we learn about his wife). As he begins to warm to his Syrian and Senegalese (sp?) friends the soundtrack complete changes. It sounds very international, and there's no piano to be seen. I thought it was a very smart score.

Hmm, don't remember that cameo. Perhaps that's because of the whole barely recognizable thing.

edit: Wait! He's playing the piano during a bar brawl! I remember that, now. That was a fun scene.

That was awesome!

It was mixed very loudly and rather repetitive. The first piece, main theme really worked wonders, giving it an epic touch.

I'd give it about the same rating Marcel, it was fun in a stoopid way and I'm a bit of a sucker for Mammoths, Sabre Tooth cats and flesh eating prehistoric birds.

Nothing spectacular that "10.000 BC", but I think the constant derision it receives is a bit over the top. It's entertaining enough and worth a watch.

Gave it a 6 on imdb.

Peter