All posts by miguel rodriguez

Film Review: The Invisible Woman

If Ralph Fiennes wants to show his acting chops in roles like Caius Martius Coriolanus and Charles Dickens, then audiences should consider themselves lucky that he has the resources to make the films himself. His sophomore directorial effort, The Invisible Woman, utilizes a more reserved approach than 2011’s Coriolanus that befits its Victorian setting. It also reveals a versatility of style that feels more sincere and natural than similar Hollywood fare. Continue reading…

Film Review: La Grande Bellezza (The Great Beauty)

The character of Jep Gambardella is turning 65, which would mean he was around 11 years old when Fellini’s masterpiece La Dolce Vita attempted to understand an Italy caught in the transformation from a fiercely traditionalist fascist nation to the epicenter of fashion, art, and excess. We will ignore the math, though, because in many ways we can see Gambardella as a version of what could have become of Mastroianni’s Marcello Rubini in that earlier film. Continue reading…