In the late 1990s, in a dilapidated theater in the heart of Palermo, Carlo Cecchi is working on a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, the second play in his Shakespearean trilogy, translated by the poet Patrizia Cavalli. Director Francesca Comencini – who sees Cecchi as the last representative of an Italy not subservient to the media and Berlusconi’s power – decides to follow him and is allowed to film the show’s rehearsals, on the condition that she does it all on her own and with discretion.
“To be universal, you have to get specific”: while the film does not attempt to provoke discussions about queerness or race, those watching closely may find something resonant in Sorrentino’s love letter to the Naples of his youth.
Remember when there was this amazing comedy titled "National Lampoon's Vacation"? To this day, it is a true classic of the genre and certainly put a new spin on precisely what KINDS of insanity could occur when taking the fam on the road. Then, like with so many successful films, there was the sequel (which for me was even MORE of a classic than the original!). However, the third film emerged....and then a fourth. Suddenly, the luster was gone and disappointment set in.
The film reminds us to remember the people who had the courage and dignity that had made the world better, even when the memory was absent.
Cord Jefferson's hilarious and thought-provoking film continues a long-standing cinematic tradition, expanding the conversation around the impact of systemic racism in today's media.
One of the reasons I love watching movies is that, much like books, they serve as windows into other times and different places. Productions from around the world offer valuable insights into the history and culture of their respective countries. And just like literature, cinema can help us understand the present by showing us the past.
The Christmas Horror section of films is growing, and today we present a bold selection of new and old Christmas horror films to celebrate this macabre union.
