La Dolce Vita, 1960 (Grade A)

Director Federico Fellini
Awards: Academy Award Nominations --and one win for costumes, plus BAFTA nomination
Cast: Marcello Mastroianni; ANita Ekberg; Anouk Aimee; Yvonne Furneaux; Magali; Alain Cuny; Annibale Ninchi; Walter Santesso

story line:  a meditation on the meaning of life and love, staring Marcello Mastroianni as Marcello, a gossip writer who seeks the fleeting excesses and decadence of life and sex.

sez says: It is Post WW2 Italy and, while prosperity is beginning to return, people no longer are sure what is important.    Our hero/Marcello is on the cutting edge of fashionable culture and he won't give up the new  'freedom' (mostly sexual) that he has discovered. Meanwhile there is a woman/his regular girlfriend who loves him and who represents a more traditional life. She tried to commit suicide -- he doesn't want her to die (ie: he is unsure if he really wants to break with tradition.  But he in incapable of turning away from the lure of the fast lane. At one point he actually tells one rich-avant-garde woman that he will settle down for her..but she rejects the offer, saying all is only for the moment. In the end he is not looking too happy to me. But in the meantime there is fashion galore, stylish settings; amazing characters; style style style.  The current film NINE seems to be about Fellini's lfe --and is worth seeing in conjunction with this.  Certainly a movie to be seen.  Grade A

In Cold Blood, 1967 (Grade A-)

Director: Richard Brooks
Awards: nominated for lots of Academy Awards (didn't win) and for a Golden Globe (didn't win) but is now on AFI list of best 100 films
Cast: Robert Blake; Scott Wilson; John Forsythe; Paul Stewart; Gerald S O'Loughlon; WIll Geer; Jeff Corey; John Gallaudet; James Flavin; Charles McGraw

sez says: this is a compelling story --and this film is a well done telling of that story. The conclusion, that the two men, when together, formed a third person capable of doing what neither of them could have/ or would have done alone, gives you pause to think.  Alienation, arrogance, looking for a magic bullet, having a weak moral center all seem like components that might be considered when asking why would these men have slaughtered a family that they didn't know.  And the story seemed to be a little more sympathetic toward one of the killers and I am not sure why.  But all in all it will get your attention and hold it. It might not be perfect but it is mighty good, (Grade A-)

Le Samourai, 1967 (Grade D)

DIRECTOR:Jean-Pierre Melville
FRENCH FILM
Starring: Alain Delon

sez says: This was described as a French Masterpiece / early New Wave /  mystery thriller.  That sounded great.  Well--the best thing about the film is the set --and especially the old telephones. (There is a red and white telephone, sitting on the policeman's desk, that I'd be every-so happy to get my hand on. And there are others too, so if you watch this film, look for the phones. They are fun.)  But that is an aside. There is minimal dialogue..and our 'anti-hero' goes around being ever so cool.  He is a hired killer--who we are suppose to be --what? impressed with? He is without affect/emotion. He just wonders up and dow hall ways with an expressionless face, wearing a coat and hat that he really should have dumped. We are told he is VERY SMART--but in fact he really is not even very bright: He can't even figure out that he ought to loose his coat when the police are looking for a man wearing that coat, etc.   The story ends in a very weird way--and by the time we got there and asked "Why did he do that?",   none of of cared enough to spend any real time speculating. We just shrugged and went on to our next movie. GRADE D (the grade could have been lower with out the