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FEST REGRETS: DISAPPOINTING FILMS FROM THE CHICAGO FILM FESTIVAL: COMMENCING WITH “THE IMMIGRANT” (USA)

Marion Cotillard, with a face to launch a thousand films, could not salvage “The Immigrant” a movie with a big heart, and inconsequential spine; Ellis Island, 1921; “Ewa” (Cotillard) a Polish immigrant, separated from her sister is protected by “Bruno” (Joaquin Phoenix) a volatile “savior” who uses Ewa for nefarious, illegal purposes. The film flounders, drowns in melodrama, benign character development and horrific editing. Jeremy Renner, miscast as “Orlando” the magician, instantly smitten by Ewa’s ethereal countenance, is laughable; ridiculously reminiscent of the “Emcee” (Joel Grey)  in “Cabaret”. Regretfully “The Immigrant” instead of reflecting a valid story that informed so many of our ancestors, suffocates in superficiality.

TWO STARS!!

UNDER THE RAINBOW (FRANCE:ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

Underwhelming, sorry narrative, mimicking generic fairy tales: Cinderella, Snow White; who have more substance than their contemporary counterparts; pretty cast cannot carry what could have been a unique scenario.

ONE STAR!

THE PRIEST’S CHILDREN (CROATIA: ENGLISH SUBTITLES)

As if the Catholic Church and its hierarchy has not had a huge “reality” check in the past decade; “The Priest’s Children” dumps fictional fumes on an already smoldering pile of smut and innuendo. Heralded as a comedy; hardly elicited a few twitters from a packed theatre;  “Father Fabijan,” the local vender and pharmacist interfere with the integrity of condoms to increase the birth rate of this destitute island; the catastrophic results lack hilarity, sadly prophetic, darkly depressing and profoundly boring.

ONE STAR!

For Now……….Peneflix

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2 comments

  1. Having cleared the hurdle of the fiscal cliff only last night when I saw The Priest’s Children today (Thursday), I totally folded into its tale of manipulation…drawn to its extreme for the sake of the story. Everyone wants to play god and we pay the price ultimately. As a catholic I even enjoyed the innuendos about priests and their proclivities. And, of course, that confessional that will take care of all sins. I thought it was very funny, sad and so true. Beautifully acted and photographed.

    • KAY, YOU HAVE PLENTY OF COMPANY WITH YOUR INSIGHTS AND OPINIONS. FOR ME, BILLED AS A COMEDY, IT WAS SORROWFUL, TRAGIC AND DEPRESSING; ALSO THE MAJOR “SIN” IN ANY FILM IS BOREDOM; BORED WITH THE “DRUNKEN” SCENE, THE WOMAN ON HER KNEES, AND THE PERPETUAL AGONIZING OVER WHAT THEY HAD MANUFACTURED. ONLY WISHED THEY HAD ALL “PASSED” THIRTY MINUTES SOONER.
      KEEP COMMENTING, P.

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