This is an artist's dream of film making: a beautiful and visual treat with stunning - Fellini like - images and imagination. It's comical as well, with Marcello Mastroianni enjoying his role and looking funny, wearing a big, floppy, flower-pot-hat with rim - and overcoat: and profiling a bushy- white moustache; and large, black rimmed glasses with bottle-top lenses. Marcello Mastroianni: delightful- uniquely, and acting in remarkable and emotional style ( - and worthy to compare to Charlie Chaplin and Jacques Tati. )
The film score by Ennio Morricone is electrifying , and inspired, and greatly enhancing the film's quality. ( Anyone could be forgiven by mistaking the cinematic score to be written by Nino Rota? ) Guiseppe Tornatore as film director -in one scene, there feels a striking reference to 'Cinema Paradiso' with child actor, Salvatore Cascio -in a misty, blue- hazed vision of the past - very touching? There are images to savour forever - perhaps Salvador Dali influenced?
'.....The basic plot is that Marcello Mastroianni, as a widower, travels to mainland Italy to re-unite his 'children' together on a surprise visit during summer vacation. The family collude, and they endeavour to conceal their lack of success - both in their own personal, and profession lives....'
I watched the film in a London cinema 29 years ago, and went back the following week to watch the film again with my wife to be; I still thoroughly enjoyed my viewing again....that the experience and genius of the art work of the moving image- ( that ) the film conveys....
Cinematography by Blasco Giurato. The film matures and ripens with age, as we age in sentimental nostalgia. The film captures romantic sentiment and sadness in a heart of nostalgia ......as the film ends- as the train of the journey arrives home to Sicily - there seems to be a carriage missing from the original train that started our journey.... In thought: a sense, a loss, one of sadness, and one of longing..... Stanno Tutti Bene!
