I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.
... View MoreThis is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.
... View MoreIt’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.
... View MoreStrong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
... View MoreVeloce come il vento (2016), literally "fast as the wind", is a beautiful film of the new Italian Cinematography that has started to re- emerge in the last few years with very good films. Italian Race, English title, is one of them.What made a lasting impression on me was how believable and genuine the story was and the relation between Stefano and Matilda, brother and sister, was faultless. Superb performances by these two. The soundtrack was fantastic throughout the movie.
... View More'Veloce come il vento' (which translates 'fast as the wind' - but got the English title Italian Race is a quite original combination between a teen drama, a car races story (including the corresponding stunts) and a moralistic story about what (mostly bad) drugs do to people. All is based on a true story, or at least the true characters of a brother and sister in a race cars pilots family. The result is a fresh film, with enough drama and good acting to keep the interest of the viewers and confirm that the Italian cinema is the place where one can find lately more and more interesting films.Giulia de Martino (Matilda De Angelis) is racing cars although she is just 17 and does not even have a driving license. This is apparently possible in Italy especially if you are born into a car racing family, and her father is trainer and mentor. The film actually opens with the death of her father, and we are soon in family drama territory, with a drug addicted brother showing up and settling in the house which is also inhabited by the younger brother. To keep the house the girl must go on racing, and the unsettling brother proves to be an ex-pilot, fallen out of the path of life or races because of his addiction. What follows is a combination of coming-to-age and family drama combined with spectacular car races, and some melodrama. We eventually learn that the smile on the face of a kid is more important that money, or even houses, or even winning in car races.Much of the film attraction is due to the splendid performances of the two lead actors Stefano Accorsi and Matilda De Angelis . Accorsi's character who sees his life destroyed by drugs but keeps trying to be a good person is poignant, while De Angelis is smart and beautiful and her work here may draw the attention of the international scene, she has all the looks and skills for success. Director Matteo Rovere seems to specialized in films about the problems of teenagers, here is broadening the scope with the exploration of the world of the car races (legal and illegal). The result is a film which looks fresh and true and keeps the interest of viewers even if car races or teenagers problems are not their preferred themes.
... View MoreOnce upon a time there was the Italian Cinema: until the 90s they were able to make almost any kind of genre film with any kind of budget (or lack of).Then Berlusconi took over all the majors and faithful to the Latin Motto "panem et circenses" he filled all the theaters with mindless comedies with his pretorians Boldi and the De Sica and their fine humour based on big tits (usually silicon based, not natural), big asses, farts and various vulgarities. It worked well because for twenty years he could have directly or indirectly the control of the country.Now that his cinematographic dictatorship is almost over something starts to re-emerge: I can say for sure that this is the first Italian movie I have enjoyed since more or less Trauma and the last Italian horrors of the early 90s.The story is a sort of composition/homage of the real lives of a famous and unfortunate rally driver and a young teenage girl who tried to became a GT driver in the Italian championship.The movie starts from this premise making them estranged brother and sister that come together after the untimely death of their father, who left the girl with a Porsche 996GT but no money for the team. Plus, he also mortgaged their own house to fulfil her dream, but without money all her crew but the old chief mechanic (who is also the narrator of the story) leaves her. There is no other option but to accept the offer of help from his heroin addicted older brother, once a great racer in the early 90s/late 80s but now reduced to a pathetic figure due to his late stage drug addiction. Another threat derives by the presence of a third brother, six years old that might be taken by the social services as the sister is still underage, without work and the older brother and his girlfriend they can't evidently take care of themselves.Besides the mortgage and a Porsche with no team, their father also left them the older brother's Peugeot 205 GT Turbo Group B, a real monster for that era,that might be also of some use in the case the money runs out and some of them might need to participate to a clandestine race more interesting that the usual Fast and Furious BS....That's the plot in a nutshell, regarding the casting, they all make their job fine, especially the chief mechanic, Accorsi's portrait of a long term addicted is believable, the photography is nice but it shows a overuse of popularizing filters that saturate the colors in a disturbing way sometimes, and unlike many Italian movie it has a proper script that besides the boring "Italian style" ending is believable and not too corny.IMO the movie is recommendable for a larger (read international) audience as it does show very well a slice of Emilian/Romagnan (North-Central Italy) very different from the Roman "Grande Bellezza" (in reality Grande Bruttezza) or the degraded South of Gomorra: Italy is ALSO what you will see in this movie.8 out of 10 because I didn't like the ending.
... View MoreHow could be possible to be able to dedicate this movie to our dear friend and exceptional rally driver Carlo Capone it sounds to me shameful! Carlo Capone never got close to the drugs world or even expressed any approval about it! He always been an incredible talent and an European Rally Champion of in-discussed capacity and value, that some disagreeable company/business decisions could take /bring him down. His health conditions have no relations to drugs abuse or addiction.. the problem is of psychological origin. Problem originated by the non acknowledgement of his fantastic capability and authoritativeness driving top rally cars at the highest level. The movie is well far from paint an accurate image of the car racing world, that in the reality is serious minded and professional. The actors have done a very good job on a grey fantasy story that somebody have tried to corroborate/validated with a dedication totally out of place! Honor and friendship to our mistreated friend Carlo Capone.
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