Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by mr grits (A) on October 16, 2010 at 22:42:42

Gorgeous art direction and cinematography paraded far ahead of the melodramatic plot of a prominent Milanese family and their secrets and woes. It seems to be so difficult for film makers to escape making Italy the star and not the characters before the camera.

The film opens with views of a snowy Milan and ends in the Recchi family villa that is of such modern elegance it draws your attention to the detail of its interior. We meet the family and Swinton who is the Russian born wife of the heir apparent son. The family is bred to be the creme and they dutifully play their roles and slowly reveal their secrets and family fears. Even Swinton becomes romantically ensnared with her son's best friend. But the plot be damned, it is the beauty of the film that counts. Whether interiors or exteriors of Milanese architecture or the scenic beauty of the surrounding countryside it is all worth taking in and studying as it rolls by.

The acting was superb and it was nice to see Berenson for once in a great while still looking world class at her age. Swinton never looked more feminine being the spindly Scot she is. Italy agrees with her.

If you enjoy the background as much as the foreground then this is a must see.


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