Filmfestivalen 2016

With
a total disregard for political correctness tells Caviglia the all but true story of Leonardo Zulliani, the boy who grew up to become the face of antisemiphobia.

It’s a
nice idea, to flip perspective and suggesting that bigotry against bigots is
somehow also bigotry. Of course, it isn’t, and the film makes this clear by
it’s sheer audacity.

However,
some of the jokes are dragged out too long, and many are puns in Italian
(hilarious, I do not doubt, but not easily, or cleverly, translated).

Still, a
good romp.

Failed
the Bechdel test

3 bow
ties of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/burning-love

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4944906/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1

It’s all
very good looking. Cinematography, costumes, set design. And while it’s often
interesting to watch the silly antics of medieval priesthood, and the two
temporal planes (present and the middle ages) is a nice gesture.

However,
there’s not much narrative. Pretty much nothing happens, making the film quite
forgettable. In fact, what I’ll remember will be having to stop myself from
commenting out loud: “But… if she
weighs the same as a duck, she’s made of wood. And therefore….” hoping
to get an audience response.

The
promised vampires eventually show up, if you were wondering. It’s just that
they might as well hadn’t.

Failed
the Bechdel test

2 keys of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/blood-of-my-blood

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2922590/?ref_=nm_flmg_wr_1

As framing devices
go, Decamerone is pretty much the original. And the concept can, and sometimes
do, work in cinema as well as in books.

What we have here,
though, is mostly surface. Spectacular scenery, spot-on costumes and a heavenly
beautiful cast. The five stories told within (making this, I suppose,
Quintamerone) are of varying quality. The falconry bit works fine, but the one
that’s supposed to be funny just leaves a bitter taste: I guess we’re to
sympathise with the simpleton being tricked into thinking he’s invisible, but
he uses what he believes is invisibility to be a dick. A violent, abusive dick,
at that.

But, yeah, I’d like
to go to Toscana someday, and preferably not during the plague.

Passed the Bechdel
test

3 supermodels of 6

https://festival.giff.se/events/wondrous-boccaccio
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3596952/?ref_=nm_flmg_dr_1