Tuesday, January 26, 2016

676. Tre fratelli

Tre fratelli
Three Brothers
1981
Directed by Francesco Rosi










We haven't had to deal with my distaste for Italian films in a little while, but now my disdain will rear its ugly head again.  If you can get something out of Italian cinema, I envy you.  I have never been able to watch one without boring the living daylights out of me.  I didn't hate this one quite as much as previous entries on The List, but I certainly wouldn't qualify it as a must see.

The matriarch of an Italian family dies, though her husband is still haunted by her memory.  Did anyone else think the beginning of this movie, when the old lady is waving and disappears in the distance, terrifying?  Maybe I have seen too many horror films, but that was oddly chilling.  Anyway, her husband alerts their three sons, all of whom return to the family farm.  They reflect on the ways their lives have turned out, each grieving differently.

The most interesting character's story is definitely Raffaele's, who is presiding over a terrorism case and fears assassination.  We get to see how his worst nightmare plays out through his eyes.  I honestly found the other two brothers rather dull.  I really wish we didn't have to spend so much time watching Nicola's daughter pee.

There were plenty of beautiful moments in this film, but I can't honestly say I didn't look at the clock many times, waiting for it to be over.  So a positive for me, as far as Italian cinema goes.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Opening film in the Cannes film festival.

No comments:

Post a Comment