D:Frederico Fellini
Starring:Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimee, Sandra Milo, Barbara Steele
You know how sometimes you read a review of a supposedly "great" arthouse movie and when you watch it it is totally nonsensical, pretensious crap? This is NOT one of those movies. 8 1/2 is a "great film" that really is great. But before you rush off to the video store let me offer a few words of warning. First, if you're in the mood for mindless entertinment save this for a day when you're willing to use your few remaining brain cells. Second, if you're a stickler for linear plot, you may want to skip this one entirely. The film dallies along, shifting from present to past without warning and with nothing in the way of narration. We also get to see a lot of dream and fantasy sequences and these too seem to occur spontaneously, much as they do in life.
So, you might ask, the movie requires WORK to watch and is still confusing. Why bother? Let me tell you why. First, it is a veritable feast for the eyes. The movie is shot in black and white and it utterly gorgeous to behold. This is the movie that launched a thousand artsy-fartsy knock-off ads in glossies like Vogue. There are some unforgettable shots particularly in the scene where the main character meets a religious dignitary in the steam room of the spa he's visiting. The second and more compelling reason to watch this film is that it really feels like life and has some interesting things to say about love, creatiivity, art, and memory. All the stuff that makes you appreciate being here on planet earth.
The movie follows Guido Anselmi (Marcello Mastroianni) for several days. Guido's a successful Italian director (much like Fellini himself) who is struggling to get his shit together and start filming the sci-fi film he's supposed to direct. He goes to a spa to rest and try to find inspiration, but unfortunately he can't get a moment's peace. You see, he's joined by his wife, his lover, his script writer and production team, and an assortment of other memorable characters, all of whom want something from him. His marriage is on the rocks, his scriptwriter hates his ideas, his producer is angry about the delays and he is having an identity crisis. "Do I really have anything to say?", he wonders. He thinks of scrapping the film but an enormous amount of money has already been spent building a space ship set piece so he feels chained to the project. The spaceship appears throughout the film and serves as a nice metaphor for a number of the issues Guido is grappling with.
I highly recommend this film to anyone looking for a truly thought-provoking, beautifully made piece of cinematic art. If you love Italian films but blood and guts is more your speed look for our review of Dario Argento's, Sleepless, coming soon. -Jenny Stumps
Rating-5 Brains
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