Wednesday, January 27, 2010
WORTH EVERY MINUTE
Today's movie was the first third of
La Meglio Gioventù / The Best of Youth (2003)
It is a six hour saga of two Italian brothers over a period of 30 years. It works its plot against Italian history over that time. The history does not intrude in the story but supports it, sometimes vividly. A flood in Florence is particularly dramatic. Realistic. Student riots.
The brothers are great. To look at and to identify with. The formula is familiar. One is arty and leftish and the other is a military guy with a short fuse. They love one another. Their stories are told in parallel and then they occasionally meet to talk it all over.
I am watching this in two hour segments. I just cannot do six hours all at once--an intermission in the middle.
Or at least I think I can't.
Ebert says he didn't notice but I was ready to take a break. Enough happens in the first third to amuse and move and engage.
Very good.
What I like about these endeavors is that it gives everyone working in the film a time to breathe and explore. This was actually a miniseries at the start but has been presented as a feature film in many theaters with a good deal of success.
I will wait to rate it when it is done.
Labels: films
