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mickiman-1
Reviews
Le Petomane: Parti avec le vent (2005)
True story polished to a sheen
I laughed so hard I got a nose bleed. (True!)
LE PETOMANE: PARTI AVEC LE VENT does not appear to be a comedy at the start but it did not take long for this reviewer to catch on.
If you hear this story related it sounds highly improbable, but experiencing the story visually, as written, presented and directed by Steve Ochs and a wonderful cast and crew, it is candy for eyes.
Oana Bogdan's masterful recreation of Marseille and Paris just before the opening of the twentieth century, is brought to life richly by the costumes of Ariyela Wald-Cohain, the sensitive and comical score of Kent Karlsson, and the unfailing eye of Bengt Jan Jonsson.
Kevin Scott Allen, gives us a moving portrayal of Dr. Baudouin who narrates his story in all its twisted perversion and Mr. Allen actually manages to make us feel sorry for his character when we learn that the wretched Dr. has contracted a fatal disease.
Ben Wise is quietly outrageous as Le Petomane and his characterization is doubly amusing when one compares his demeanor and his actions. Mr. Wise and Aimee Miles make moving and poignant lovers and Mr. Karlsson never misses an opportunity to render their relationship with appropriate harmonies.
The balance of the cast perform splendidly.
As the story is a visual treat my review will leave it to your personal discovery.
This is one for your MUST SEE list. It left me wanting more.
The Mortician's Hobby (2004)
Sensitively written and directed in superb locations
"The Mortician's Hobby," written and directed by Colleen Reilly takes a novel approach to an extremely sensitive subject: Death in the family, and the public perception of mortuaries and morticians.
The mortician (micki SCHLOSS) agrees to accept a temporary intern as part of an educational program. When he meets the young lady (Felicia Day) he learns that she garnered his establishment for the assignment by virtue of her absence from class on the day the assignments were chosen. The mortuary, a sort of booby-prize, was the only internship left. She confesses that she'd rather be a hair dresser.
She is present when the mortician makes funeral arrangements with several clients and shows a sensitive comprehension of the clients' emotions and needs through a quiet but powerful sense of observation, noticing, too, that the mortician sketches the clients who display interesting features.
The mortician introduces her to applying make-up to the faces of the diseased, a task that disgusts her, at first, and demonstrates the novel use of his sketches which intrigues the young intern and changes many of her perceptions and goals.
Excellent casting for difficult roles which are played extremely well under talented direction.
Short but packing a powerful message.