Discland
edited by Jonathan Doyle
Mafioso (The Criterion Collection, 3.18.2008) Nino Badalamenti is a supervisor in a car manufacturing plant who hasn't taken a vacation in over two years. On his way out the door to visit his beloved childhood hometown of Sicily -- with his blonde wife and daughters -- Nino is handed a package by his boss and asked to deliver it to a powerful and influential Sicilian gangster named Don Vincenzo. Once in Sicily, Nino has a hoot seeing friends and family, but his wife has trouble fitting in and is unfairly dismissed as a snob by Nino's family. Even more worrisome, Nino finds himself entangled in an intricate web of secret mafioso dealings and is eventually sent on an unexpectedly... elaborate errand. (continued)

Upcoming


July 2

Hancock

July 3

The Whackness

July 4

Diminished Capacity

Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson

Holding Trevor

Kabluey

We are Together

July 9

Full Battle Rattle

July 11

A Man Named Pearl

August

Eight Miles High

Garden Party

Harold

Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Meet Dave

Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired

The Stone Angel

July 18

A Very British Gangster

Before I Forget

The Dark Knight

The Doorman

Felon

Lou Reed's Berlin

Mad Detective

Mamma Mia!

Space Chimps

Take

Transsiberian

July 22

Two Tickets to Paradise

July 23

Boy A




 

McCarthy's Pan

"No doubt it will be back to the drawings board for Che, Steven Soderbergh's intricately ambitious, defiantly nondramatic four-hour, 18-minute presentation of scenes from the life of revolutionary icon Che Guevara," writes Variety's Todd McCarthy.

"If the director has gone out of his way to avoid the usual Hollywood biopic conventions, he has also withheld any suggestion of why the charismatic doctor, fighter, diplomat, diarist and intellectual theorist became and remains such a legendary figure; if anything, Che seems diminished by the way he's portrayed here." HE response: I couldn't disagree more. In The Argentine Guevara seems about as brave, thoughtful, resourceful and heroic as anyone could possibly imagine or portray him.

"Originally announced as two separate films, The Argentine and Guerrilla," to be released separately, the film was shown as one picture, with intermission, under the title Che (although neither this nor any other credits appeared onscreen) in its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival.

"Neither half feels remotely like a satisfying stand-alone film, while the whole offers far too many aggravations for its paltry rewards. Scattered partisans are likely to step forward, but the pic in its current form is a commercial impossibility, except on television or DVD."

Snack and Debate<< previous | next >>Another Salute

Posted by Jeffrey Wells on May 22, 2008 at 12:49 AM

comment #1

Dzayson [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

I have a feeling Todd McCarthy really, really enjoyed Braveheart

Posted by Dzayson [TypeKey Profile Page] at May 22, 2008 01:32 AM

comment #2

actionman [TypeKey Profile Page] says ...

Todd McCarthy is a critic with class and intelligence and a real knowledge of film. Read his review of Jesse James. So he didn't like Che...big deal...there are worse things. Still doesn't change the fact that some people obviously feel that the two films are masterpieces. And still doesn't change how much I want to see it.

Posted by actionman [TypeKey Profile Page] at May 22, 2008 06:58 AM

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