SinkAndDrown's Reviews

For Love (2022)

6/10

5 January 2023

This documentary highlights the history and ongoing repercussions of cultural genocide, overreaching and assimilation the Canadian federal government has subjected First Nation children.

It's a very emotional and powerful documentary that takes examples of abused individuals and showcases communities trying to heal from generational trauma.

It's unfortunate the film focuses on some seemingly random interviewees, instead of leaning more on the history, statistics, political struggles and legislative ideologies. Or on why culture and community are the institutions that provide healing. Maybe it's my thirst for facts, but I would have like more interviews with institutional leaders, lawyers, historians, preferably native ones. I missed a more tightly defined narrative.

Nonetheless, I think it's a powerful viewing and my eyes did not stay dry.

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Videocracy (2009)

5/10

Nothing new for Italians...

17 September 2009

Well, I must say I expected more from this movie after having seen the trailer. The documentary is quite slow for all the 85 minutes, and lacks explanations: why most Italians base their information access on television? how did the private TV channels owned by Berlusconi became so big? We just see the beginning 30 years ago, and the situation now... how was the evolution in between? Basically the movie gives just 2 examples to explain the result of the cultural change gained in the last years by Italian television: first the simple guy working in a factory who drams of getting on television; second is Fabrizio Corona, who is basically an asshole paparazzi gangster, exploiting famous people to own money and become famous himself. In my opinion this movie puts some light on the situation Italy is in, avoiding going deeper to the roots. It would have been easy to tell, show, explain and discuss much more... that's why it's just 5/10.

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Ruthless Colt of the Gringo (1966)

5/10

not good, not horrible

9 February 2008

This movie is really nothing special, and sometimes even boring, but if you are a fan of Spaghetti Western you will not hate it. In fact this is not brutal at all for a S.W., maybe because the director is Spanish and not Italian? The story is the same as many other western movies: a guy it's judged for a crime he hasn't done, and, after have been in prison, comes back to get his revenge, but here there is no searching and hiding and killing of the enemies one after another. The revenge becomes less important than the actual happenings in the town "Paraiso", and the love stories with Cora and Lois. Anyway i saw the new Italian DVD release in 79 min. version, and i missed something, but there is a lot of talk in this movie, much more than in every other S.W. i have seen, so that the plot results easy to follow, even with 16 cut minutes of movie. The music is OK, not the best Francesco De Masi, but i really loved the opening song "A man must Fight". Some night scenes, shot in "day as night", are too dark and you see almost nothing. In my opinion with this plot it would have been possible to shot a far better movie. Just for real Spaghetti Western movies fans.

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Long Days of Vengeance (1967)

8/10

The only Vancini western, good!

28 January 2007

I first have to say I that I saw the Italian uncut (123 min.) version which is really not bad. This movie initially should have been directed by Duccio Tessari, director of the 2 Ringo movies, both with Gemma but he had'n the time to do it, so the producers took "Stan Vance". The plot is quite interesting even if it is a simple revenge story: you get little by little to know why the main character searches revenge and it's never obvious what is going to happen next. The photography and the make up of the movie are not so good, but it has nice desert landscapes and a good music score. So, for all the spaghetti Western fans this is highly recommended, but possibly in a uncut version: I even have a German version of this movie running just 100 min but it's not the same thing when something is missing, even if it's not strictly necessary.

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Day of Anger (1967)

9/10

Old revolver man (Lee Van Cleef) teaches a young guy (Giuliano Gemma) how to get the respect of people in the West!

22 January 2007

Warning: Spoilers

Tonino Valerii learned much from Sergio Leone as he was his 2nd unit director (in The Good, the Bad, the Ugly, I think). And this movie is the proof of his knowledge. Besides the Sergo Leone Spaghetti-Western, the Valerii ones are some of the best and most important for the genre. In "I giorni dell'ira" we see the story of a Son of a whore who fallows an old revolver man to learn from him how to get the respect of the people of the town he lives in. Between the two main characters grows a kind of Father-son-friendship. But Scott Mary (Gemma) understands too late the real main interests of Talby (Van Cleef) which wants to make money not caring about anything else, after he already became as his master. The only way out is to use the 10 learned "basic roles of the west" for the revenge and to come back to peace.

This movie has all what is important for a good SW: - wonderful sunny desert landscapes from southern Spain, - Good actors (Lee Van Cleef is simply perfect for this role) - Wonderful music in vain of morricones soundtracks for the "dollar" movies - very much suspance and good action.

Together with "My name is nobody" (1972) this is the best Valerii western, check it out!

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