How much this film is a dreadful Z-series remake is close to 100%. One would also almost dream to be deaf not to hear the music. An incredible catwalk of vulgarity, despite a huge budget and commendable actors' cast. Marion Cotillard, the least catastrophic of the actresses, is saved by seemingly being in a different movie. What could I say more... if you like disasters, you may like this film...
A study of writers block, this film explores a famous director’s mind and muses as he attempts to cope with pressures of putting on a musical, juggling multiple women, both past and present lovers, and struggling to start work on writing the musical he is already casting and promoting as his masterpiece.
I’m never a fan of films about writers block, it is inevitably a subject that fails to get going. And as a musical it struggles, always reining itself in whenever it looks like it’s about to break into soaring heights. This is by the same people who did Chicago, which I loved, and there are bits where you can see the resemblance. But the songs always seen to be the poor cousin, failing to match up to the first film’s brilliance. The musical numbers are too restrained, with slow, ponderous, pausing, notes throughout, rather than just as a build up. This becomes wearing after the first couple of songs and you yearn for the cast to stop stomping and strutting and just to break out and dance and sing. ‘Be Italian’ is the only song that comes close, but the rest never get going. This is a shame as the choreography and talent is just as excellent as Chicago.
The cast is heavyweight, but the film is about one man, and the many famous actresses who play the women in his life never get much beyond his own impressions of them and become characters in their own right. Apart from Judi Dench’s strong and independent character the women are rarely more than mere objects of inspiration for Guido, both sexually and creatively. Perhaps this is the point but it means the film ultimately rests on Daniel Day-Lewis playing Guido Contini and him alone. Daniel Day-Lewis is superb as always, and captures the character extremely well. As a character study this is very powerful and Daniel makes this film work just for that. If you’re a fan of this legendary actor you have to see this performance and won’t be disappointed by him.
This film itself is very well made, but quite heavy going and I got a little bored watching it at times. But overall I’m pleased I saw it, and was impressed with its ability to powerfully portray its subject of the flawed character and psychology of Guido. But this subject was, unavoidably, wearisome.