Reviews (15)

"The best Exodus film to date...but not quite 'Joseph'....."
Ben Kingsley has to be one of the finest Hollywood--as well as biblical, character actors in the world today. His Moses spans the life of the hero from youth to the old man most people think of when the name of Moses is mentioned.

This film is the best version of the Exodus story to date. It is far superior to 'Ten Commandments', which stressed the spectacular at the expense of the accurate. This TNT version--while not quite as good as 'Joseph', is extremely accurate in its depiction of ancient Egyptian history. It stresses the Egyptian background of Moses' life, and doesn't just portray him as simply Hebrew alone.

How nice to see Moses pictured as a highly trained soldier (which he surely was) in growing up in the Pharaoh's court! Especially novel is the portrayal of Moses' lisp, which could be a very accurate interpretation of the Biblical narrative's 'slow of speech'. While a bit more emphasis could've been placed on the fact that the plagues were specific judgments upon Egyptian gods, the film does a fine job in nearly every other respect.

The next to last meeting between Moses and the Pharaoh ("MY name resounds in all the earth--and I let YOU live"!) is exceptionally well written, and the final meeting is wonderful. Moses speaks volumes in his silence! The parting of the Red Sea is pretty darn good (though the crossing is mysteriously speedy--even for an epic!), and the fact that the Hebrews crossed it 'on dry ground' is an excellent addition which most miss in the Bible, not to mention the film! Great job, here!

The 'pillars of fire' which hold back the Egyptians are depicted as lightning, and this part is a real highlight! The film assumes Ramases and Mernepta are the major Pharaohs of the period. This might cause a little confusion to more conservative believers who place the Exodus earlier (1445 BC), and the Pharaoh as Thutmoses III. It will be especially confusing to 'Prince of Egypt' admirers, since Ramases there is Moses' friend, instead of the Pharaoh-father.

All in all, this is a film well worth watching. Unlike 'Joseph' however, which never had a dull moment, 'Moses' is considerably less interesting after the crossing of the Red Sea. But it does fair justice to the Bible, and the acting is superb. One could hardly ask too much more from Hollywood!

Finally!
Finally...a film about Moses that is about as realistic as you will get. I LOVED this version. It so vividly portrayed the trials and tribulations of Moses and a nation of people who followed him to the Promised Land. I was very impressed with the reality of the stage settings, costumes and portrayal of the realities of day-to-day living in those times. I got a very real sense of how it must have been for Moses to lead a group of people who were afraid, insecure and homeless...people who constantly, doubted and challenged Moses' relationship with God.
Very accurate from a Biblical standpoint as well - the director did not take too many liberties with this film.
There are so many great things about this movie I can't put it all into words. I've seen several versions of the Exodus, but this one is the best yet! I originally saw this movie on the TBN cable channel and I loved it so much, I'm buying it for my personal library. I HIGHLY recommend this video!

the journey to the promised land
Though this television production doesn't have the epic grandeur of "The Ten Commandments", it is a marvelous telling of the story of Moses, with some superb acting; there are a few liberties taken to flesh out the script, but the heart of the Biblical account is intact, with a memorable portrayal by Ben Kingsley as the prophet who was "clumsy with words" but led his people to freedom.
Other terrific performances come from David Suchet as Aaron, Sonia Braga as Zipporah, and Philip Stone as Jethro, and as the "bad guys", Frank Langella, who with his sonorous voice makes an effective Pharaoh, and Maurice Roeves as Zerack, the man who is a continual kvetch.

Filmed in sub-saharan Quarzazate and Agadir, Morocco, it is visually beautiful, with the excellent cinematography by Raffaele Mertes; I like the neutral palette, and the artifacts and costuming that give it an authentic look of ancient times. Added to the atmosphere is the wonderful score by Marco Frisina.
The effects are good, from the parting of the sea to the tablets of the law, and other than a short sequence of violence (which includes a swift depiction of sacrificing an animal) after the golden calf incident, it is family friendly. Total running time is 184 minutes.
This is a film that stands up to a lot of repeated viewing; it is so full of eternal truths, and content that is applicable to our lives today.

My favorite Moses
I thought this was the best of films I've seen about Moses. I liked the way he was portrayed as an ordinary man who was chosen and called by God. He had to grow into greatness and he had to grow in his faith. I found his transition from ordinariness to greatness over the years and through many difficult circumstances and difficult choices to be inspirational.

Films I've seen in the past about Biblical characters have often tended to come across as a bit formal or contrived feeling. I thought the portrayal of how the people lived had a more natural look and feel to it, instead of looking more like actors simply trying to portray past ways of living.

The film gave me a better sense of what Moses and the people of Israel went through in their journey from slaves to free people reaching the Promised Land. There were many difficult choices to make and some chose unwisely. I was touched by the portrayal of Moses' grieving when the people rebelled and God dealt with them.

It brought tears to my eyes at the end when Moses, before he died, was standing on the top of the mountain looking down at the Promised Land. I thought it was an excellent portrayal of Moses and his fulfillment of God's destiny for him.

More complete, but less exciting
This film covers more of the Moses story than any other film I have seen. Although there are a few inaccuracies, they are few compared to most Hollywood films and generally don't make any substantive change to the Biblical text. One problem with the film is that the crowd scenes just don't do justice to the reality. Scholars estimate there were about 2.5 million Hebrews in Egypt who made the exodus. I doubt if there are any scenes in this film which show more than 50. The film could be greatly improved if they could add computer generated people to build the crowd scenes. This is one thing The 10 Commandments could do well. The second problem, is that the film just isn't as exciting as The 10 Commandments. Perhaps that comes from being more accurate. Overall, it is a good film which does an excellent job at covering the events. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Salted pork shanks as leitmotiv in a dark comedy about an absurd love triangle: this is what post-Franco cine is all about (food and sex). Spanish tortillas (i.e., potato omelets) are also big in this one. Director José Juan Bigas Luna's Jamón Jamón is intelligent, wry, and--despite the formulaic narrative that melodrama must essentially contain--unpredictable. At times his film exudes a certain Almodóvar flavor, but there is an edge, perhaps a heavy-handedness, to the dark humor that is either Luna's success or his downfall. The film garnered the Silver Lion at the Venice Film Festival, after all. Try to follow: sexy Penelope Cruz (Belle Epoque) is growing up with her mother outside town on the highway, on the wrong side of the highway. Together they run a truck stop where cars and life literally race past. Cruz is in love with Jordí Molla, by whom she is pregnant. Molla's bourgeois mother, played by Anna Galiena (Being Human), thinks he can and should do better. (Of course, neither Cruz nor his mother knows of the erotic, hmm, avian interludes Molla enjoys on the side.) To save her son from the lower classes, Galiena hires Javier Bardem, a muscular, pretty man (whose regular consumption of the pork he distributes for a living has enhanced his sexual appeal) to pursue Cruz. The dark comedy finds a proper ending to the triangle in a grotesque but comedic landscape of death. This is not a cookie-cutter movie but rather one that will resonate with both your light and dark sides. After each surprise, you'll chuckle, feel guilty, and chuckle again. --Erik Macki ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Two words, Penelope Cruz
O.K. it may not be a five star movie, more like four but if you're a Penelope Cruz fan like me you'll love it. Seeing her half clothed body frequently throughout the movie makes you glad they invented rewind and pause controls on your antiquated vcr. Seriously though this is a very sexy and smart movie about two of the things most of us love most, food and sex. Spanish cinema has a certain flair for exploiting those issues most dear to us in the most unusual manner. The movie is very funny, more so if you understand Spanish culture, and the imagery used to convey the issues at hand are most visually dramatic. The story evolves primarily around the life of Jose Luis who is the wealthy son of a domineering mother whose family is in the underwear business. Not sexy yet? Enter Javier Barden("High Heels" and "Live Flesh)" as Raul, a novice bullfighter, underwear model and soon to hired lover to interfere with Jose Luis's love interest. He's a confident Spanish stud who takes no prisoners in his conquering of women. Still doesn't sound sexy? O.K., now for the best part of this movie, Penelope Cruz is Sylvia the pregnant girlfriend of Jose Luis and is the leading lady in this tale of twisted love triangles. The sexy Sylvia is torn and her future in-laws make her decision more difficult. Lots of unpredictable liasons develop that may be immoral but if taken as a satirical romp quite funny and entertaining as opposed to shocking. Some of the scenes are a riot like when the two machos sneak into a bull ranch late at night for a little clandestine bullfighting by the moonlight. The daring bravado of the two machos is illustrated so beautifully and the scene transition is just as wild as they run from their persuers.Without describing and ruining the scene suffice to say that the fact that two young men would go to such great lenghts to prove their macho is hilarious. It is scenes like this that make for memorable Spanish cinema with a quirky message hidden in celluloid reminiscent of Aldomovar. Very funny stuff worth the price of admission alone just to see a very young Penelope Cruz at her sexiest.

Like a potato omelette ("tortilla de patatas")
This movie by Bigas Luna combines elements of irony and surrealism in a very disfunctional setting where almost nothing works the way it's supposed to, based on "normal" thinking (whatever that translates into for each and everyone of us). The movie, almost from beginning to end is very unpredictable (which is good) and brings out very sexually-charged performances by the entire cast, but very specially by now-superstars Penelope Cruz (Woman on Top, Blow, Captain Corelli's...) and Javier Bardem (Before Night Falls).

My "issue" with this movie is that it doesn't qualify as a comedy altogether, due some of its very disturbing scenes. It also doesn't succeed, in my opinion, at being a parody of the Spanish macho man and some other typical (yet repressed during the Franco times) elements of Spanish culture. And finally, although it attempts to (with the pig, bull and ham imagery), I don't think of it necessarily as a good surrealist movie (in the style of a Bunuel or a Fellini). I think it is more a combination of the sexual drive typically behind Bigas Luna's movies and a good dose of Oedipus complex sprayed (portrayed in an interesting way). Trying to be too many things, it ends up being like a potato omelette ("tortilla de patatas".) In all honesty, in the end it left me with nothing but a few laughs at its ironies.

Nude Matadores and Lottsa Ham
This is a fun film! A black "who's sleeping with who?" comedy that draws its viewers into this bizarre, crazed love triangle. Anyone who is a fan of early Almodovar will get something out of this.
The acting is great, especially by Bardem. The script has alot of subtle one-liners, and the sex and nudity is explicit and contributes to the anything goes atmosphere. So if you're looking for a fun dark/tragic comedy with lottsa sex, pick this one up.

Javier Bardem and Tomas Penco in all their glory.
Sometimes an aspiring actor has to do a little film to pay the rent or fulfill a contract agreement. What this film shows is how excellent Javier Bardem has become as an actor. He has come along way. Still young Bardem was in great shape. Not much of a plot that I could enjoy, but the film is a bit exploitive. That is guaranteed money for filmmakers. I don't mean to embarass the two male actors that are 100 percent nude, but since they probably got a good size paycheck, what the hay. You'll see Javier Bardem pretend bullfighting in blue shorts, then later Javier and Tomas Penco model underwear. Later in the film, Javier Bardem and Tomas Penco decide to have some fun at night time nude bullfighting. These scenes are remarkable to watch because it is a real bull they are teasing. Penelope Cruz and Jordi Molla are also in the film. Javier Bardem and Jordi Molla worked together in SECOND SKIN.

WOW
Jamon Jamon is one of those spainish films you watch because Penelope Cruz is in it, but, by the time the naked bullfight scene rolls around, if not before, you realize that not even the best looking actress around can make up for such a bizarre and ridiculously sketchy peice of cinema. Meant to be funny, the outrageous sexual innuendo that is the script is just too strange to be humerous or even erotic.
The plot set up in the beginning of the movie, which had potential, breaks down as a result of the plethera of random hook-ups, many implausible, and by the time Silvia makes out with her fiance's father, one is just too wierded out to care. Some themes adressed in the movie are masculinity and the role of the man and woman, but through poor acting and trippy cinematography, even these are too blured to amount to any semblance of profoundness. All in all, if you're looking for a good movie with Penelope Cruz in it, watch Belle Epoque. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

"I never belonged to anyone."
I make a point of watching any film directed by Patrice Leconte, and "The Hairdresser's Husband" is perhaps both his finest and his most obscure work. The veteran French actor Jean Rochefort is Antoine--the hairdresser's husband, and Anna Galiena is Mathilde, the hairdresser.

As a child, Antoine learns to love going to the hairdresser--Madame Shaeffer, a rubenseque, heavily-scented woman whose impressive bosom awakens Antoine's budding sexuality. Antoine becomes obsessed with the hairdresser, and when Antoine's father asks the boy about his future ambitions, Antoine proudly announces to his shocked parents that his ambition is to be a married to a hairdresser one day.

Mamy years later, Antoine--now a man in late middle-age--spies the beautiful Mathilde as she flicks idly through a glossy magazine in the window of her hairdressing salon. Antoine is intrigued with Mathilde, and when she gives him his first haircut, all thechildhood memories of Madame Shaeffer return. The powerful memories of those first childhood sexual experiences lead Antione to immediately propose marriage. Mathilde accepts, and the two lead a blissfully happy life in a world that has very little to do with reality.

Mathilde is a mystery. She never brings up her past, and yet it is clear that her life has not been happy--hence her willingness to escape into Antoine's fantasies. But there are warning signs--she refuses to discuss her past and dreads growing old, but in her role as Antoine's living, breathing fantasy, Mathilde holds no curiosities for Antoine. Antoine's need--to transform Mathilde into the object of his desire and obsession absorbs her into this role, and this inevitably leads to destruction--for fantasies that become reality shatter under examination.

This strange tragic love story juxtaposes memories from Antoine's childhood against Antoine's idyllic life with Mathilde, and this accentuates the idea that we evolve into adulthood, but still connect with the childhood passions we can remember--sometimes all too well.

The acting in this beautiful film is simply superb--Jean Rochefort is sympathetic as the lonely Antoine who loves without asking questions, and Anna Galiena is exquisite as the mysterious, sensual, and sad Mathilde who exists only within the confines of her husband's fantasies.

A One of a Kind Romance Story
This truly unique film goes deep inside the development of a man's true love for the woman of his dreams. What appears to be a fixation rooted from childhood feelings towards a hairdresser and the good-feeling they represent, is a unique love that spurs pure from the heart. In return, the recipient of this love is also a giver and the relationship these two people share is greater than any outsider can understand. A twist in the end of this picture forces one to analyze the true passion this couple had for each other. A refreshing unique expression of love is displayed here, which sets itself apart from the typical boy meets girl film. As most foriegn films dicate: God is in the Details. Watch closely and enjoy.

Touching and emotional film
Like a previous person, I make a point of watching any film directed by Patrice Leconte. I also think "The Hairdresser's Husband" is perhaps both his finest and his most obscure work.

This touching film stars veteran French actor Jean Rochefort as Antoine--the hairdresser's husband, and Anna Galiena is Mathilde, the hairdresser ... enough said!

The film portrays life at its finest as well as its most sad times. I found the film a little slow at some points but neccessary to enforce the fact that sometimes life is just peaceful and inactive and at times - rash and quick.

Bittersweet Vision of Love and Sex
I found this film to be fascinating and touching, especially if you are yourself in the middle of the first three months of a torrid love affair. As a woman, I hope that men are capable of feeling as the protagonist does about his personal fetish-female--I tend to think not, but it's the kind of thing we long for (ok, maybe only some of us long for...others may find it merely weird and incomprehensible). The film definitely touches on many erotic elements that may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the film is so visually charming and almost tactile in its depiction of sex that I think everyone will find something to like in it.
I agree with the other reviewer in that it is a real shame they have never released the soundtrack. It should come as no surprise that the composer for this film, Michael Nyman, also did the music for "The Piano"--a movie which has a similar sensibility (and both films were directed by women, I believe!)

Try to see this film when you are either in love or thinking about it.

Amusing, Sexy, Bewildering, Must watch
I've watched this flick now with two groups of people. The first time was with a bunch of my guy friends, some of who are artsy fartsy and some who are white trash. We all loved it. We found it hilarious, especially the "dancing" scenes. We also found it bewildering, but not quite weird. I just recently watched it with my girlfriend and 4 of her friends and their recations were quite different. Of course they found it funny by his dancing, but they found their relationship downright weird and the whole plot weird, but yet they still couldn't keep talking about it. Nontheless this is a good non-mainstream movie to check out, it may leave you wondering what the heck you just watched, but your life will be better from watching it. Trust me. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Romantic thriller with good acting and unexpected twists.
Even if you are not a fan of Jon Bon Jovi this film is very good. It centers around an American movie star, played by Bon Jovi who wants to get artistic recognition by starring in a London play. Thandie Newton plays the playwrights mistress and Anna Galiena his unhappy wife. The playwright is played by Lambert Wilson as Felix Web. The desperate playwrite asks the American star, Robin Grange to seduce his wife so she can leave the marriage with her self-esteem intact. The plot thickens from there with a surprise ending. Well worth taking a look at the slick European film.

Pleasantly Surprised
I have seen Jon Bon Jovi in a few movies before and he has always impressed. However this movie is at the start of his acting career and he is "The leading man".

So it was lucky that he had a smart script, excellent support actors and talent to burn.

The story revolves around an american actor who is to star in a play in London and his relationship with the writer, his mistress and his wife.

Take it seriously, its a good movie.

interesting...not much more to say
okay, i've read most of the other reviews for this movie and had high expectations for it. i mainly wanted to see it for jon bon jovi, maybe because he is really HOT. anyway, i was a little disappointed, but it was an overall job well done. i'm just going to state the fact that i'm only a teenager, which explains why i found a couple of scenes awkward. to make it short and simple, i would recommend that you only watch this movie before you turn out the lights to make it more interesting. in my opinion of course, you may have your own

BEST JOVI MOVIE EVER!!!!
if you are looking at this movie for the same reason i did (bon jovi) then you are looking at the right movie!
i've seen pretty much EVERY movie he's ever been in and this by far is the best. some of the other reviews said the same thing,that if you think bon jovi is the greatest you won't be disappointed!
here are a couple of reasons why this movie should be at the top of your bon jovi list:
*scenes with his shirt off
*he is the leading man
*seduces the leading ladies
*twisted ending
if you need more reasons than those you'll just have to check it out for yourself.

regrettable
the mystery of why anyone would cast jovi
in the lead cannot be answered by watching
this movie. just being a celeb doesn't give
you the acting chops necessary to hold up your
end in the company of established performers.
the faltering screenplay didn't help matters
either. altogether regrettable ... Read more

Amazon.com

The husband who goes out for cigarettes and never comes back, the university professor who abandons his wife to live on the street, the servant who's really a millionaire in disguise--these are all stories that have crept into our subconscious as half-remembered television plots or tales overheard on the subway. In Three Lives and Only One Death, director Raúl Ruiz combines several of these universal anecdotes into what he calls a "Cubist pattern" that focuses on one unassuming resident of Paris, played by Marcello Mastroianni. The result is a droll, ingenious, and consistently surprising film that has inevitably been labeled surrealist, simply because the plot doesn't follow a straight line of development.

But where the surrealists were deliberately irrational, drawing their inspiration from dreams and free associations, Ruiz works from highly rational, analytic principles, spinning his stories from puns and puzzles, from arcane theological texts and traditional literature of the fantastic. Three Lives contains references to such American fantasists as Bierce and Hawthorne, though its deepest roots are in the intellectually playful fiction of Jose Luis Borges--a master who Ruiz very nearly equals. --Dave Kehr ... Read more

Description

A brash young American comes to London to star in a major new production-and becomes the central character in a mystery fueled by intrigue and passion. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Romantic thriller with good acting and unexpected twists.
Even if you are not a fan of Jon Bon Jovi this film is very good. It centers around an American movie star, played by Bon Jovi who wants to get artistic recognition by starring in a London play. Thandie Newton plays the playwrights mistress and Anna Galiena his unhappy wife. The playwright is played by Lambert Wilson as Felix Web. The desperate playwrite asks the American star, Robin Grange to seduce his wife so she can leave the marriage with her self-esteem intact. The plot thickens from there with a surprise ending. Well worth taking a look at the slick European film.

Pleasantly Surprised
I have seen Jon Bon Jovi in a few movies before and he has always impressed. However this movie is at the start of his acting career and he is "The leading man".

So it was lucky that he had a smart script, excellent support actors and talent to burn.

The story revolves around an american actor who is to star in a play in London and his relationship with the writer, his mistress and his wife.

Take it seriously, its a good movie.

interesting...not much more to say
okay, i've read most of the other reviews for this movie and had high expectations for it. i mainly wanted to see it for jon bon jovi, maybe because he is really HOT. anyway, i was a little disappointed, but it was an overall job well done. i'm just going to state the fact that i'm only a teenager, which explains why i found a couple of scenes awkward. to make it short and simple, i would recommend that you only watch this movie before you turn out the lights to make it more interesting. in my opinion of course, you may have your own

BEST JOVI MOVIE EVER!!!!
if you are looking at this movie for the same reason i did (bon jovi) then you are looking at the right movie!
i've seen pretty much EVERY movie he's ever been in and this by far is the best. some of the other reviews said the same thing,that if you think bon jovi is the greatest you won't be disappointed!
here are a couple of reasons why this movie should be at the top of your bon jovi list:
*scenes with his shirt off
*he is the leading man
*seduces the leading ladies
*twisted ending
if you need more reasons than those you'll just have to check it out for yourself.

regrettable
the mystery of why anyone would cast jovi
in the lead cannot be answered by watching
this movie. just being a celeb doesn't give
you the acting chops necessary to hold up your
end in the company of established performers.
the faltering screenplay didn't help matters
either. altogether regrettable ... Read more

Description

Eduardo Noriega (Thesis, Yellow Fountain, Open Your Eyes) and Anna Galiena (The Hairdresser’s Husband, Jamon, Jamon) star in this Hitchcock-like thriller directed by Rafael Moleon (Baton Rouge).

On his way to meet his girlfriend, Julio (Noriega) happens upon an abandoned car.Upon closer examination, he discovers a dead body and a cache of jewels.After disposing of the car and body, he takes the jewels and hides them in the room he rents from Marie (Galiena), the object of the town’s mystery and gossip.

After having dinner with his girlfriend, Julio returns to his room to discover the jewels are missing.When he confronts Marie, she admits to having taken the jewels and their heated confrontation turns into a night of passionate sex.At this point, the two decide to have the jewels fenced by old boyfriend of Marie and leave town. Before they can escape Julio and Marie discover that the ex-boyfriend has a scheme of his own and their plot to escape becomes a "Question of Luck." ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Gripping recreation of facts
Because "Excellent Cadavers" - or, as it's titled in Europe and Australia, "Falcone" - is a film based on facts, you begin to watch it knowing perfectly well just what is going to happen and what the ending will be. Nevertheless, it manages to be gripping and deeply involving. The story of judge Falcone and his self-sacrificial fight against the seemingly omnipotent mafia is faithully recreated (though perhaps a little too shortened for my liking) - if marginally fictionalized - and treated with respect it deserves. The script certainly does Falcone justice, as does Chazz Palminteri's portrayal of the relentless lawman. F. Murray Abraham delivers as well, and even though he obviously does not look anything like the real Tommasso Buscetta, he convincingly portrays an old-fashioned "man of honor", a relic of the mob era when the term had an actual meaning. Victor Cavallo as Salvatore Riina, shown here as a secondary character, is worth mentioning too - Cavallo, though his role has little screen time and is in fact reduced almost to a few dialogueless cameos, manages to create a memorable, truly frightening and malevolent screen personality, perfectly recreating the nature of the real "Toto". Though this is "only" a TV production, it can certainly stand tall and proud next to any cinematic giants of the mob film genre. Highly recommended.

Must see for every mafia movie lover
For those that want something different from all those Sinatra loving american-born mafioso this is a must. The movie based on a true story and describes the life of Judge Falcone, a man dedicated in fighting the mafia in its nest, Sicily. I gave it 3stars as i find quite short and end very suddenly.

War against the Mafia: Raw and Brutal
This is a powerful film. The fact that it has only 1 "name" star( F.Murray Abraham,as Don/Godfather Tommaasso Buscetta) and uses multi-over-voice news casts, and actual newspaper clip/photo montages conveys an aura of documentary realism not often seen except perhaps in war films. EXCELLENT CADAVERS is a war film. It has been noted the film makes no effort at "Godfather glamorizing" of Dons and wise-guys of The Mafia. Nor does it opt for a meretricious cool that allows "The Good Fellows" to be thugs but tough-guy anti-heroes at the same time. The Sicilian mobsters are portrayed as demonic monsters; their "soldiers" as conscienceless killers. Chazz Palminteri is excellent as soft-spoken, courageous Judge Giovanni Falcone. He takes-on the thankless, almost suicidal mission of ferreting-out the 5th estate/Racketeer dominated infrastructure of his government and nation amidst an unbelievable reign of terror by Cosa Nostra. With assassinations of public officials and police occurring daily, the breaking of Omerta...the blood code of silence...by Don Tommasso Buscetta (in vengeance for mob killings of his family members by other Dons) "opens the ball" to mass indictments, arrests and convictions of literally hundreds of Mafia leaders and their tainted government cohorts. But the victory is not without terrible, final cost. This film is unfliching in its depiction of what a war against the Mafia is. Some would observe that the film "lacks" depth. However, how much of a hearing do terrorists merit? The Sicilian Mafia...also called The Octopus because its tentacles extend to virtually every major criminal enterprise on earth...is the government of Crime. In lands blessed by God, it will remain The Black Hand that curses men. Perhaps it can never be defeated. But EXCELLENT CADAVERS is an excellent film, raw and brutal, that demonstrates there are still heroic men and women willing to risk themselves to fight the Mafia...wherever it strikes... in unending War of attrition.

Gripping recreation of facts
Because it's based on facts, you begin to watch this movie knowing perfectly well what's going to happen and what the ending will be - nevertheless, it's gripping and deeply involving. The story of judge Falcone is faithully recreated - though too shortened for my liking - and does him justice. Chazz Palminteri plays Falcone much better than I expected, and while F. Murray Abraham does not look like the real Tommasso Buscetta, he does a fair portrayal of a "man of honour". The role and part of Toto Riina, while secondary, is worth mentioning too - it's truly frightening!

An excellent movie about real heros
While the American media was having a field day with publicity about "Teflon Don" John Gotti and the Gambino crime family, across the Atlantic, in the land where the Mafia began, a group of true patriotic heros were literally putting their lives on the line, trying to rid their country of Mafia stranglehold. By viewing this movie, we come in rather at the end of that battle, which is a pity, but understandable given the time restraints of a film.

By the time we are introduced to Giovanni Falcone (Chazz Palminteri) and Paolo Barsellino (Andy Lutto), they have lost fellow judges and magistrates to mob hits. When Falcone's investigation begins to turn up the heat under a few Sicilian Mafia kingpins, the very government office where he is employed confiscates the files containing his research--ironically claiming that they are needed for the investigation in the the most recent Mafia assassination of his fellow judge and friend.

The tentacles of the Mafia have reached into every stratum of Sicilian society by the time this movie begins. The mob controls literally everything. As the character Tommasso Buscetta (F. Murray Abraham) explains to Falcone when they meet, that's why Sicily had highways that went nowhere, dams without water, seaports without ships. If ever the taxpayers were being robbed to support organized crime, the people of Italy and Sicily were at this time and had been for much longer.

Opposing the Mafia in Sicily in the 1980's meant either political death from corrupt politicos or physical death from the mob, which makes it all the more amazing that so many brave men were willing to try their best and give their lives for their countrymen. It is abundantly clear in the movie that the people of Sicily were literally crying out to be saved from the mob, but were all too aware of the indifference, corruption and fear in high places that made that salvation all but impossible.

Giovanni Falcone entered the fight in what were to be the last seven years of his life. Palminteri plays this hero-next-door beautifully, showing his faults and fears as well as his incredible strength of character. The romance between Falcone and his soon-to-be wife Francesca (Anna Galiena) is beautifully portrayed with warmth and wit. As the two of them (she is a Sicilian magistrate) take on the mob, even as they take their vows, they do so as two mature, realistic adults who know all too well that their lives may be over soon. They learn to live and love surrounded by bodyguards even though they know, as Falcone tells Buscetta, "One should bring children into the world, not orphans."

At long last, Falcone gets to fulfill his dream, along with this friend Paolo Barsellimo (Andy Lutto) of completing his investigation into Mafia activity in Sicily, which ultimately leads to the indictment and conviction of more than 300 crime bosses and flunkies. Then we see the frustration build as yet another corrupt judge begins to set the covicts free from their life sentences on the slightest of technicalities. Finally, just as it appears that the government has captured and will prosecute "Toto" Reina, the mightiest of the mob bosses in Palermo, Francesca and Giovanni are assassinated themselves. Months later, Barsellino joins the group of martyrs to the cause of eliminating the Mafia. But by that time, all the people of Sicily were united in their demands that the government get serious about ending the Mafia domination of their country.

This movie will end for all times the idea that "the mob" is a glamourous, exciting entity. It leaves one asking, "Just what's so good about a goodfella?"

The scenery and settings in the movie deserve star billing themselves. We see Siciliy as a modern, beautiful city with a rich past--a place where most people genuinely want nothing to do with Cosa Nostra and have no respect whatsoever for those who do.

I would have liked to see more background on the history of the mob in Sicily and Italy, as well as a bit more on Falcone's own background. However, it is understandable that the addition of this material would have taken away from the story being told by "Excellent Cadavers." So I have ordered Alexander Stille's book from Amazon to satisfy my curiosity in that regard.

Altogether this is a very beautiful and satisfying film that proves that, after all, heroism is not a thing of the past. ... Read more

Description

The Troma Team is proud to present Acting Out; a unique production that documents the human mind's yearning for a ll that is taboo.From the strange and sexy to the universal or unusual, what is ordinarily confined to the private realm is candidly revealed here.

Delve into the hidden depths of the human psyche as real people explore their sensuality by Acting Out their erotic fantasies!There are no script and no rehearsals.The film-makers provide only the sets, props and players necessary to complete the worlds of imaginary desire for the people who volunteered for this project. ... Read more