Rating of
4/4
Wonderfully Original
Looneymanthegreat - wrote on 03/25/13
There are movies that wander spotlessly through Images with little plot to speak of, only a weak premise or free association. Some of the more familiar examples are films such as Mullholand Drive. There are other movies that we common film goers are more familiar with that have a clear plot and message. 81/2 seems to have somehow combined the two; there is a plot, but only just.
The movie flashes between reality and fantasy, sometimes without the audience noticing. In the end it doesn’t particularly matter what’s really happening and what is only in the main characters imagination, because the plot is not confined t either world. The plot revolves around Guido, both External and internal.
It is a character study, but not in the same way that films like
Citizen Cane or There Will Be Blood are character studies. It lingers on only a small portion of it’s subject’s life and shows his life from all angles in a way that I’ve never really seen before.
Even if you don’t like this sort of “art house” film or having to read subtitles I suggest you check this one out. Even if you don’t particularly like it, It’s one of those movies that every film fan should see.
