Articles
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The Thin Apocalypse
When I was a kid, my grandfather was always watching westerns and war films. I remember fondly the day when he asked for my VHS of Saving Private Ryan, because it was a bit of a laugh. He took the VHS, went back downstairs, and put it on as loudly as possible. The house turned into Omaha Beach.
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Retelling is not for everyone
Bohemian Rhapsody reminded me of how difficult it is to tell a story more or less well-known. Questions of accuracy, respect and fan-service are inevitable, as inevitable is the pressure behind a work that must deal with a popular figure. Bohemian Rhapsody follows the conventional biopic path, unfolding mechanically like a Wikipedia entry. It limits itself to bits and pieces of a subject too complex to be tamed, and it fails miserably at showing us that there is more to Queen than a greatest hits collection.
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Arrivederci Soavi, Ciao
It’s always been hard for me to cope with Italian cinema. I am not talking about obvious masters such as Roberto Rossellini, Elio Petri, and Federico Fellini here. I am talking about the most recent output of my country’s film world, which makes me wonder what those masters would think of Italian cinema today.
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My 2018 in films
In terms of cinematic experiences 2018 has been an amazing year. Although I have a couple of titles among this year’s finest already added to my all-time favourites, 2018 will be remembered as the time when my cinephilia expanded in incredible and inspiring ways like never before. The key game-changer has been Letterboxd.
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The present is the past is the future
Funny how volatile judgement is. I remember enjoying Ernest Cline’s Ready Player One while reading it, and then time has almost entirely overturned my appreciation for it. I was still dealing with the rise of my negative opinion about Cline’s work the first time I saw Steven Spielberg’s adaptation this year, hence no surprises my bias ruined my enjoyment. Upon watching Ready Player One again last Sunday, a totally different film unfolded on the screen. I refused to oblige the bias, and sat in ecstatic amusement while Spielberg built a world of wonders in front of me.