Though austere and pretentious, Death in Venice is a beautiful and internal examination of the external. The first hour’s pacing is glacial, but the last seventy minutes speed up to merely slow. As self-serious as a film adaptation of Thomas Mann’s novel as can be, Visconti imbues moments of high camp that bring a much needed levity, and they are encompassed brilliantly by Dirk Bogarde.
Bogarde’s performance is one of the finest displays of horniness — sexually, emotionally, and intellectually…
With its production design, cinematography, editing, and Audrey Tatou’s star-making performance, Amélie is well-made and full of whimsy, verve, and heart. However, for all of its eccentric charm and craftsmanship, the narrative just doesn’t sustain through the second hour after a masterful first. The color grading also is… well… grating. If there were a “Direct Your Ass Off” competition, Jean-Pierre Jeunet would fare quite well. He’s a wizard with the camera whose style creates striking images and adroit shot sequencing, and he possesses a keen sensibility for tone.
If I'm being honest, I might have to subtract a quarter star for Coppola letting us see Jimmy Caan not landing that punch and uppercut knee combo when Sonny beats up Carlo, but the chuckle it got out of me revived my five star rating.
