Giuseppe Verdi - Rigoletto DVD

Advantages: Strong acting, black comedy, nice visual look.
Disadvantages: No characters that are likable.

...Rick is a modernised adaptation of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” opera. I did not know this before seeing it. It doesn’t really make that much difference to me afterwards either as I’m not familiar with Rigoletto. That said though, it is still useful to know this going into Rick, as it makes the kind of absurdist twists you’d only usually find in an opera easier to accept. Without this, the film does at times seem a little ridiculous. It’s still all very enjoyable, save one vital plot point, and upon reflection, it does make sense. Our titular protagonist is Rick (Bill Pullman), an annoying kind of man you could only really find in the corporate world. He works at Image, and despite most of the film being set in or around the company, we never learn what they actually do. This is because it doesn’t matter in the context of the plot. We just need... Read review

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Advantages: Robert Downey Jr, old fashioned romance, Italy
Disadvantages: No real chemistry between the leads

...achieve it, this is mainly due to the modern stars lacking the class of such Hollywood greats as Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant. What Jewison does do extremely well, is to capitalize on the picturesque scenery of Italy, from Venice to Rome and onto the Amalfi coast. Plus, for anyone who has had the pleasure of driving one, the inclusion of an original Fiat 500 is a great bit of nostalgia. The soundtrack to the film is typically soft and romantic with pieces such as "Some Enchanted Evening", " Only You (and Only You)" and "Once in a Lifetime" setting the mood. But with the film being set in Italy, there is strong musical reference to Italian works both new and old, with pieces composed by Giuseppe Verdi as well as modern songs such as "Amore Contro" by Eros Ramazzotti. = The Cast = Marisa Tomei .... Faith Corvatch Robert Downey... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: Good DVD features
Disadvantages: Acting, direction, storyline

...plummetted, with his recent film 'Revolver' flopping badly at the box office. At least he's learnt one thing; never put your wife in the film. In Swept Away Madonna plays Amber, a rich, pretty but very spoiled and arrogant woman, who's seemingly fed up with her husband Tony (Bruce Greenwood), a big shot in the pharmaceutical industry. When Tony treats her to a private cruise, Amber is less than impressed, taking her anger out on the ship's first mate, Giuseppe (Adriano Giannini). After a freak storm, Amber and Giuseppe find themselves shipwrecked on a deserted island, with Giuseppe now having the upper hand over his rich counterpart. The premise is actually quite good, but sadly never lives up to anything more then a silly soap opera, as all we do is watch them sitting around trying to out-act each other, as Giuseppe tries to romance Amber... Read review

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