Nanni Moretti on DVD

[Barmy]

It looks like some of his older stuff will be released on DVD by Warner Home Video in Italy in September 2008, some with English subtitles. I'm not sure how accurate the subtitle descriptions are in the link I've posted, as I'm not sure why some of these would have subs and others wouldn't.

Anyway, although I'm not a fan of his post Caro diario work, I would highly recommend any of the earlier films. Unfortunately, the ones being released are more political and anarchic in tone than some of his other earlier films (e.g. Bianca and The Mass is Ended), which are very entertaining comedies.

[rohmerin]

Il caimano and La messa è finita are almost masterpieces.

Son's room, defintely is his best film.

Ecce bombo and Pambonella rossa are awful comedies that I didn't understand. Too much Italian and I'm not. I wish I were, but I miss every context that only Italian people can see in that films.

Moretti stars last Italian hit, named Caos calmo but it's not directed by him.

[Barmy]

Not that anyone seems to care, but all 4 of the new DVDs are subtitled (assuming the box cover is accurate). I agree that the political films are hard to follow for a non-Italian, but, like Oshima's political films, it's still possible to get something out of them. Plus Palombella features Asia Argento's first (and perhaps last) serious role.

[Morandi]

thx for the info, gonna buy some of 'em.
havent seen "io sono un autarchico" and "sogno di oro" but ecce bombo, and its very very funny (there are plenty of clips on youtube, unfortunately only in italian), though of course it doesnt have sthg like a narrative flow...
still waiting for "la messa e finita" and "bianca"

[Barmy]

"La messa e finita" and "Bianca", his 2 best films, are coming out in December. =P~ =P~ =P~

[domino harvey]

After years of seeing Moretti’s name on Cahiers year end lists, I finally watched one and I don’t even know what’s going on here. La messa e finita reminds me a bit of late period Jerry Lewis, where there’s not really even jokes anymore, just moments where jokes might be. That’s all this film is. Set up with no punchline, over and over. Moretti has a strong screen presence and makes for a handsome-looking protagonist (my understanding is that after this film he always has a trademark beard, though) but his character is frequently annoyed, arrogant, and unpleasant in ways that are never particularly amusing or insightful. This is such a bizarre movie. Take the sequence where a family steals Moretti’s spot while parking. He’s in his priest garb. The family greets him, accosts him, and throws him in a fountain. He gets out, insists that the spot was his, and the father of the family proceeds to hold his head underwater repeatedly, for increasingly longer periods, as if to actually murder him. And it, like most odd moments in this movie, is filmed like there’s a gag in here somewhere. I don’t know what it’s supposed to be, as there’s no comic timing here or payoff to the injustice. All I can say in this film’s favor is that it certainly has a consistent and obviously intentional tone and approach throughout. But to paraphrase Rodney Dangerfield, about what I have no idea

[zedz]

Moretti’s European reputation is a complete mystery to me as well. His comedy is so mild it’s practically homeopathic, and even when there’s some kind of interesting concept in play, it’s made moot by the lack of comedic or dramatic payoff.

[domino harvey]

His comedy is so mild it’s practically homeopathic

A+ and completely accurate, based on this film at least