not quite 8 1/2 out of 10

I'm glad people read the blog, I like it when they mention they read it and laughed, or watched a movie based on my comments and unique insights. What I don't like is them using one of the movies (or its title) to tease me about not going on the boat. You know who you are (yes, you). Oh, the title used to taunt me? Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events. (insert frowny face).

7/19/13 8 1/2, Best Foreign Film, Best Costume Design, 1963

A friend of mine asked me not too long ago if I had any criteria for not finishing a movie, or phrased another way, quitting. It really is my intent to watch every movie all the way through, even if it hurts. I may have to revise that. It's not like this is my job. Tonight was a real test, but I did it. I have had this DVD for 3 weeks and one day, and I started to wonder if I was going to ever pop it in the DVD player. But I did it. I have reviewed a couple of foreign films in the blog and encouraged you to try them if you never have. If you're thinking, hey, great, another foreign film, hold your horses buckaroo. I'm not sure I would start with this one. I have never watched a Federico Fellini film, but I have watched many foreign films including some directed by Ingmar Bergman, Pedro Almodovar and others. Some are inaccessible and too abstract for me, while others are very captivating, and even if I don't quite understand them, I will watch them over and over again. At this moment in time, I will not be watching 8 1/2 again. Warning: The following are my opinions and may not represent the actual intention of the plot (I did not refer to any background materials in order to keep my mind uncluttered). Guido is an Italian director prepping for his next big movie, which he seems to be avoiding at all costs. His main character is somewhat autobiographical and seems to have very conflicting ideas and thoughts about the Catholic Church and women. The movie uses flashbacks, or perhaps imagined flashbacks, some scenes that seem like fantasy. It reminded me of Pedro Almodovar, although I'm guessing Fellini inspired Almodovar (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Talk to Her [never, ever need to see that again], and many more) and something of Bergman's, but I could not quite put my finger on it. I finally started to get into the movie, or at least grasp what was happening, about an hour and fifteen minutes in, which isn't really very good because there were only 50 minutes to go. It seemed very existentialist (again, my interpretation of what that means), you know, why am I here, what has my life been about, what is in my future, etc. etc. I'm all for looking inward and being introspective, but this didn't interest me here. This seemed like a movie that you would have to do some studying beforehand, figure out what all the symbolism means, a biography of Fellini in hand, etc. Guido resists making any progress on his film, refusing to watch screen tests, taking forever to create his huge set, and then towards the end, he wants to call the whole thing off, but his crew/friends/producers won't let him. It ends with the cast doing a dance across the stage, it sort of reminded me of The Seventh Seal (Bergman) at the end where the Grim Reaper, the Knight and other characters dance across a field, and brought to mind the quote from Shakespeare (Hamet?) "All the world's a stage..." This might be something I watch again after I get more familiar with Fellini's work, and I'll have plenty of opportunity from the list of Academy Awards winners. But, then again, maybe not.

I kept this an extra day and owe the library a dollar. Netflix thought I would rate this two stars, they were right on with that one. Well, now I can cross it off the list.