4 out of 5. BLAST OF SILENCE, by Allen Baron is raw on every
level. I'll admit it I flinched a little, I'm not proud. Allen Baron is
not only ambitious but he portrays a really tough bastard of a killer
who takes on the world with equal
heavy-handedness. There's a lot of great scenes in this film and the
story is compelling. All of it combines if a very textural piece that
has a teeth-clenching finale that you won't want to miss. Universal
Studios buried this for years but now it's been finally released by
Criterion. There's a reason for it. This isn't polished hollywood
noir...it's the stuff crime novels are made of.
=s=
4 out of 5. Akira Kurosawa's YOJIMBO is an
excellent template that many a story has hung on. Sergio Leone's A
FISTFUL OF DOLLARS took what Kurosawa pioneered and pushed it a little
further owning it in the process. But I give Kurosawa full credit for
some amazing shots and a great balance of comedy in a grim and
unsettling time.
=s=
4 out of 5. Pietro Germi's DIVORCE-ITALIAN STYLE
is a lot of fun! Marcello Mastroianni clearly enjoyed the role of the
Sicilian Baron smitten with his cousin but to get rid of his overly
loving wife made for an excellent
obstacle. You find yourself rooting for the rapscallion. Germi's Seduced
and Abandoned was a much harsher approach to comedy and I'm glad to see
this has the smoothness of a great tiramisu. If you like screwball
comedies played sincerely with real style and pouring over with Italian
flavor then you'll dig the hell outta this.
=s=
