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Reviews
La meglio gioventù (2003)
One of the best films of all time.
This film would have to rank as one of my top ten movies of all time along with Casablanca, Day For Night, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and the Godfather. True to life; unpredictable; filled with metaphor; acted beautifully; filmed with splendor; spellbinding; are just a few of its positives.
Six hours is a long time for any movie. Reluctant to go to such a huge commitment of time, a friend convinced me to sneak into the last hour of the second half. I was hooked. I attended the first three hours the next night and the final three hours the following evening. I then bought the DVD, which is something I rarely do.
The characters are real. They act the way we all do: with imperfection, hesitation, regret and courage. Kismet and chance are as important as direction and drive. Life is full of surprises but our path, our mistaken goals, and our view of life propel us like invisible currents in the sea of life. Power, attention, revenge and avoidance of failure, are addressed as a mosaic of human personality and potential. Success or failure is not presented as some "feel good" Hollywood formula, but as a confrontation with good and evil. Life is complicated. There are no easy answers; only painful journeys that once ventured can transcend the pain. But there are no guarantees.
Thank you Dan, for sneaking me into the Oak Street Cinema. It has enriched my life.
Saviors of the Forest (1993)
This is a wonderful documentary about two "camera guys" trying to do something to help save our planet earth from the forces of destruction.
This was an excellent picture about the problems of sustainable development in a world filled with poverty and despair. Unlike many documentaries, it is filled with humor, drama and thought provoking vignettes. The movie is delivered in "Michael Moore" style as you follow the "Camera Guys" as they try to discover who the bad guys are that are destroying the Ecuadorian rain forests. But, unlike Michael Moore, the movie is not pompous, acidic, cruel or demeaning. By the end of the movie you have a very good understanding of why Northern (USA, Europe, etc) activists have such little luck in saving our planet. You also have a very good idea of where the biggest problem lies: our tremendous and un-satiated appetite for wealth and cheap oil.
Bill Day & Terry Schwartz are talented filmmakers who know how to tell a complicated story with simplicity and emotion. The rain forests won't be saved by some do-gooders putting a fence around it and keeping people out There are already millions of people living in the Amazon river shed and they need to survive. It is the horrendous poverty that drives them to cut and burn - for their mere survival- the rain forests that provide us with oxygen, and diversity, and a hope for human longevity on earth. Chris, Lucinda & Doug of the Ecological Trading Company provide a glimpse of real people who not only understand the dilemma, but are doing something about it. Producer Richard Hahnen brings a story we all need to know to life. This movie should be required watching for every high school or college student who says they want to do something to save the environment.