"La Casa dalle finestre che ridono" is a great reminder of why I love Italian horror films so much : Pupi Avati's excellent craftmanship shines especially in this underrated gem. This film has everything I love : great locations, an intense and moody score, mysterious characters, hidden secrets and a surprise ending that actually works. Highly recommended if you want something else than the usual Fulci, Argento or Bava...
Reviews
4 Reviews
8 Women
(2002)
Disappointing and flawed
20 February 2002
"8 Femmes" is such a disappointing film that I don't even know where to start. François Ozon's last movie, "Sous le sable", was so inspired and touching that in spite of the universal acclaim (not a bad thing per se, but unilateral thinking always makes me feel cautious) it was emotionally challenging and very fair in its depiction of a woman's slow descent into madness.
"8 Femmes" is a step backwards to a simpler, heavily influenced postmodernist retro-pop cinema : shot in a one-piece set, with actresses dressed in 1940s costumes and interpreting famous old songs whenever the script doesn't seem to know where it's headed (which happens a lot).
"8 Femmes" is not subtle, and resembles "Sitcom", François Ozon's first feature film, in its weak attempts at shocking the audience : oooh, my, lesbians, incest, murder, lust ! The movie is not satisfying as a murder mystery (clues pop in at such speed that paying attention to the plot unfolding proves to be a real challenge). The all-star cast is in itself a bad idea : the viewer devotes his attention to finding out who's the best actress, who has the best lines, etc... And the songs, well, suffice to say that if you really want to include songs in your film, why not making it a musical ?
Fortunately, Isabelle Huppert's flawless performance saves the day, as usual, especially when pitted against Virginie Ledoyen's abysmal performance.
"8 Femmes" is a step backwards to a simpler, heavily influenced postmodernist retro-pop cinema : shot in a one-piece set, with actresses dressed in 1940s costumes and interpreting famous old songs whenever the script doesn't seem to know where it's headed (which happens a lot).
"8 Femmes" is not subtle, and resembles "Sitcom", François Ozon's first feature film, in its weak attempts at shocking the audience : oooh, my, lesbians, incest, murder, lust ! The movie is not satisfying as a murder mystery (clues pop in at such speed that paying attention to the plot unfolding proves to be a real challenge). The all-star cast is in itself a bad idea : the viewer devotes his attention to finding out who's the best actress, who has the best lines, etc... And the songs, well, suffice to say that if you really want to include songs in your film, why not making it a musical ?
Fortunately, Isabelle Huppert's flawless performance saves the day, as usual, especially when pitted against Virginie Ledoyen's abysmal performance.
L'homme à la Buick
(1968)
Slow-moving and uninspired
20 February 2002
Lovers of 60s french films might be disappointed in this film which will probably bore you to death. "L'homme à la Buick" has nothing that looks like a plot, a point or any other redeeming features. And even though Fernandel does a good job, as usual, he looks as bored as the audience watching the film. All in all, "L'homme à la Buick" is a crime story with no suspense (and possibly the worst car chase in the history of cinema), a love story with no passion, and a moral tale with no wit.
Un clair de lune à Maubeuge
(1962)
Fairly amusing
18 January 2002
Fairly amusing french film. The Swinging Sixties are being hard on Paul Prunier, a modest cab driver who writes classical symphonies in his spare time. Rejected by record companies everywhere (they'd rather sign the latest novelty acts), Paul will eventually become famous when an improvised song of his - Un Clair de Lune à Maubeuge - is accidentally broadcast on a national radio by the hilarious Michel Serrault. Mayhem ensues as the song becomes a national hit, and everyone tries to cash in on Paul's phenomenal success.
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