Set in 1943, when the Nazis occupy Rome, "Freaks Out" draws the viewer into a circus performance at the beginning, where the protagonists offer a first glimpse of their talents. The albino Cencio, wolf-man Fulvio (reminiscent of Chewbacca), clown Mario and the electrifying Matilde are the attractions of a traveling circus. Matilde's performance at the latest draws you into the wonderful magical world in which nothing seems impossible and keeps you glued to your seat. It is clear from the first ten minutes that this is going to be a wonderfully staged journey with a dreamlike soundtrack. But there is not much time for dreaming, because you are abruptly torn from this magical world by the brutality of war. In "Freaks Out", bizarre comic moments meet ruthlessly brutal war violence.
On the journey of the "fantastic four", you experience an adventure in which anything seems possible. There are always moments that amaze, surprise, enchant or amuse with bitterly wicked humor. There are no limits to the imagination of author Nicola Guaglianone and director, producer and screenwriter Gabriele Mainetti. Mainetti was also involved in the soundtrack and you can tell. For me, this is one of the film's greatest strengths, because you notice in every scene, in every minute of the 2 hour 21 minute running time, that everything is coordinated down to the smallest detail.
The core of the story is quite clear and familiar from many films: the group is split up and one member has to save the rest. Inexperienced heroes who first have to learn how to deal with their abilities. Among these, Matilde is given a special role, because she also stands for the good, who can't bring herself to do something bad or use her powers, otherwise someone could get hurt. Matilde is the counterpart to the six-fingered Nazi Franz, who is embodied absolutely fantastically by Franz Rogowski with an energy that left a strong impression. He makes his character vacillate between broken, consumed by ambition and ultra dangerous.
Basically, all the actors deliver a great performance, drawing the audience into an atmospherically dense, beautifully staged, grotesque and bizarre world with their characterization. The really wicked humor runs through the film again and again and is also present in the dialogues, the action is powerful and the effects are very good. But there are also touching emotional moments.
A big compliment goes to the picture and sound design. It is dark, captivating but also magical and enchanting. The camera captures intoxicatingly beautiful images, which are all thought through down to the smallest detail. The lighting is perfect. The coloring is rich in contrast and dark. The setting, the equipment, the stage design is opulent and coordinated with the scenes down to the smallest detail. (Note the "Magic Cube" or the shape of the confetti). But the almost perfect coordination of the music matches the images perfectly. Mainetti also ensures that each main character is given an instrumental touch. From graceful, enchanting, fairytale-like, to the build-up of tension in fights. And the piano instrumental version of the Radiohead song "Creep" is particularly great - a soundtrack I want to buy immediately.
This film took me into an incredibly imaginative and intense world, into which I dived with the eyes of a child and sat captivated in my armchair for 2 hours and 21 minutes, not noticing how time passed. For me a little gem, you can feel the Italian "AMORE" that was put into this project.
------------- Conclusion:
Outstanding - A fabulous "X-Men" variation that makes merciless use of various genres. Its brilliant image and sound design leaves an impression in my heart and remains in my memory. - A recommendation for anyone who finds the current superhero films too slick and too repetitive.
On the journey of the "fantastic four", you experience an adventure in which anything seems possible. There are always moments that amaze, surprise, enchant or amuse with bitterly wicked humor. There are no limits to the imagination of author Nicola Guaglianone and director, producer and screenwriter Gabriele Mainetti. Mainetti was also involved in the soundtrack and you can tell. For me, this is one of the film's greatest strengths, because you notice in every scene, in every minute of the 2 hour 21 minute running time, that everything is coordinated down to the smallest detail.
The core of the story is quite clear and familiar from many films: the group is split up and one member has to save the rest. Inexperienced heroes who first have to learn how to deal with their abilities. Among these, Matilde is given a special role, because she also stands for the good, who can't bring herself to do something bad or use her powers, otherwise someone could get hurt. Matilde is the counterpart to the six-fingered Nazi Franz, who is embodied absolutely fantastically by Franz Rogowski with an energy that left a strong impression. He makes his character vacillate between broken, consumed by ambition and ultra dangerous.
Basically, all the actors deliver a great performance, drawing the audience into an atmospherically dense, beautifully staged, grotesque and bizarre world with their characterization. The really wicked humor runs through the film again and again and is also present in the dialogues, the action is powerful and the effects are very good. But there are also touching emotional moments.
A big compliment goes to the picture and sound design. It is dark, captivating but also magical and enchanting. The camera captures intoxicatingly beautiful images, which are all thought through down to the smallest detail. The lighting is perfect. The coloring is rich in contrast and dark. The setting, the equipment, the stage design is opulent and coordinated with the scenes down to the smallest detail. (Note the "Magic Cube" or the shape of the confetti). But the almost perfect coordination of the music matches the images perfectly. Mainetti also ensures that each main character is given an instrumental touch. From graceful, enchanting, fairytale-like, to the build-up of tension in fights. And the piano instrumental version of the Radiohead song "Creep" is particularly great - a soundtrack I want to buy immediately.
This film took me into an incredibly imaginative and intense world, into which I dived with the eyes of a child and sat captivated in my armchair for 2 hours and 21 minutes, not noticing how time passed. For me a little gem, you can feel the Italian "AMORE" that was put into this project.
------------- Conclusion:
Outstanding - A fabulous "X-Men" variation that makes merciless use of various genres. Its brilliant image and sound design leaves an impression in my heart and remains in my memory. - A recommendation for anyone who finds the current superhero films too slick and too repetitive.