Tag Archives: italian

Battle of the sexes dressed in Sixties’ Groove, “Femina ridens” [1969 Italy]

Contrary to critics who enthusiastically slap Piero Schivazappa’s “Femina ridens” [Eng. Title: The Laughing Woman] with the ‘sexploitation’ label, it is actually a stylish erotic thriller, with some genuine interest in discussing feminism. The unfortunate tag is perhaps largely to … Continue reading

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Sixties’ kitsch and deviance – “Una ragazza piuttosto complicata” [1969 Italy]

Damiano Damiani was one of the most prominent and prolific Italian directors during the 60’s and 70’s, and his early crime and political dramas were, if not revolutionary, certainly ground-breaking for its time. His erotic/psychological thriller “Una ragazza piuttosto complicata” … Continue reading

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Isabella Ferrari and others in “E la chiamano estate” [2012 Italy]

After a promising start to his career with films like La spettatore, Paolo Franchi decides to confront (and confound) audience and critics alike with his latest drama “E la chiamano estate” [Eng. Title: And They Call It Summer]. And not … Continue reading

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A Castellitto-family epic about motherhood – Venuto al mondo [2012 Italy, Spain]

Sergio Castellitto is among the few actors who’ve made a name for themselves as a film director. His latest drama, “Venuto al mondo” [Eng. Title: Twice Born], like the earlier Non ti mouvere, is yet another family project. Based on … Continue reading

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Learning to love imperfect films “L’amore è imperfetto” [2012 Italy]

Francesca Muci’s début feature, the ironically named romantic drama “L’amore è imperfetto” [Eng. Title: Love is Imperfect], is a classic case of someone trying hard to make a perfect film. Reason dictates that there never was, and there will never … Continue reading

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