Thanks to Netflix, I can establish "phases" in my screenings. I go through a particular genre or director, and then swerve into the next related subject, on and on. However, sometimes the connections are unintentional or a little more tangential than expected.
Recently, I've been having an "Italian moment." I started out with Roberto Benigni's "The Tiger and the Snow," a lightly political view of life in the midst of the current Iraq war. Like his classic "Life is Beautiful," Benigni did his best to overshadow politics with humor and sentiment in familial relationships. However I disagree with critics who think that he avoided political commentary altogether. No amount of gleeful dialogue can cover up the backdrops, and just because one does not show battles, does not mean that death is avoided. In fact, it was worse that the subject of death emerged where one would not expect it.
From that semi-fairy tale about dedication through all forms of obstacles, I watched "Coffee and Cigarettes," not knowing that Benigni appears in that film as well. It was interesting to hear him speak English, just interesting. He was as exuberant as he is in Italian, but the scene intrigued me because he had to contain that in a relatively serious character and hence measure his words. I must recommend "Coffee and Cigarettes" (by Jim Jarmusch) because of Cate Blanchett. If I could be any celebrity on earth, I would be Ms. Blanchett, so do go watch her talk to herself.
I ended this two-film streak with a jump into Argentinian life through "Family Law," a film about a father and a son who are both lawyers. Somehow I still thought of Italians, and hope that I'll find a film about Italians in Argentina...and keep going...viva Italia!
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