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gigodagno
Reviews
El mariachi (1992)
Bad haircuts. Bad acting. GREAT movie!
This is a flawed movie. The actors are, for the most part, mediocre. Even worse is their hair. But some elements make this a very fun film to watch. A guitar case full of guns, an evil gringo, a "modern mariachi" who plays the keyboard, some hilarious fast forward scenes, and the ugliest motorcycle ever made. Also at the beginning there is one great voice over, when El Mariachi is walking on the road along with a turtle. Dramatic scenes like this are mixed with humorous ones (some intended to be funny, some not), and that makes the film interesting.
If you know a bit of spanish, you'll appreciate the fact that the characters speak very slowly, which allows you to watch the film without subtitles. Also, I recommend watching Desperado right after El Mariachi, you'll understand the mythology of it and enjoy it more.
Roberto Succo (2001)
Good, but no match for Harry, Bernie and Man Bites Dog.
ROBERTO SUCCO is a good movie, especially when considering the fact that it's based on a true story. But if you want to watch a real, disturbing 'serial killer movie' like only the French can make (meaning character driven and néo-realiste), check out HARRY UN AMI QUI VOUS VEUT DU BIEN ("with a friend like harry" in english), C'EST ARRIVÉ PRÈS DE CHEZ VOUS ("man bites dog") and BERNIE. Also, if you can find it, see SEUL CONTRE TOUS ("i stand alone") by Gaspar Noé.
SUCCO just doesn't have the intensity and the tension that those movies have. But it has its moments. The minimaliste direction and the outstanding performance of Stefano Cassetti make it an enjoyable ride after all. But again, it just can't compete with HARRY.
Vanilla Sky (2001)
Almost identical copy of ABRE LOS OJOS, but better and more efficient
I had extremely bad feedback from friends and critics about this film, so I watched it without any high expectations. I normally don't like Hollywood remakes, nor am I a big fan of Tom Cruise, but I have to say, I really liked this movie. It is haunting and beautiful, and after seeing the original ABRE LOS OJOS, it is clear to me that Crowe did a great job. The original is far less efficient than the remake, and believe it or not, I found VANILLA SKY to be less melodramatic. Also, Penélope Cruz's character is more present and complex in VANILLA SKY. The photography is breathtaking and I loved the music (although it does seem as if Cameron Crowe just threw in all his favorite songs on a CD and pressed 'shuffle'... it's more of a playlist than a real score).
This said, VANILLA SKY is not to be missed. You can question the relevance of making the same movie twice (it's almost a shot by shot copy of the original, and many lines are the same), but to me VANILLA SKY is a great improvement over ABRE LOS OJOS. The only element that remains as flawed as in the original, is the vacuous and insignificant character of the best friend (Jason Lee/Fele Martínez).
I give this movie an 8 out of 10.