Mia Madre – Way Too Indie http://waytooindie.com Independent film and music reviews Fri, 02 Dec 2016 17:34:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 Way Too Indiecast is the official podcast of WayTooIndie.com. Our film critics grip and gush about the latest indie movies and sometimes even mainstream ones. Find all of our reviews, podcasts, news, at www.waytooindie.com Mia Madre – Way Too Indie yes Mia Madre – Way Too Indie dustin@waytooindie.com dustin@waytooindie.com (Mia Madre – Way Too Indie) The Official Podcast of Way Too Indie Mia Madre – Way Too Indie http://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/waytooindie/podcast-album-art.jpg http://waytooindie.com TIFF 2015: Mia Madre http://waytooindie.com/news/tiff-2015-mia-madre/ http://waytooindie.com/news/tiff-2015-mia-madre/#respond Sun, 13 Sep 2015 13:00:45 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=39548 For a drama about the loss of a mother, 'Mia Madre' is surprisingly bland and indifferent.]]>

For a story that feels directly inspired from the director’s personal life, Mia Madre feels surprisingly bland. Nanni Moretti’s latest film focuses on Margherita (Margherita Buy), a director working on the troubled production of her latest film. Her on-set troubles come in the form of Barry Huggins (John Turturro), an American actor with a bloated ego; off set, Margherita and her brother (Nanni Moretti) have to deal with their mother’s (Giulia Lazzarini) failing health. Both children know that, with their mother, getting better isn’t an option; it’s only a matter of when she’ll pass on, and the impending death soon takes its toll on Margherita’s health and well-being.

Moretti faced a similar issue several years ago; his mother passed away while he was working on his 2011 film We Have a Pope, so it feels a bit strange watching Mia Madre unfold in such a bland and detached manner. Moretti throws in one clue after another about Margherita’s psychological condition, and his weaving in of dreams and fantasy sequences (all shot in the same way, making it hard to discern what’s real and fake at certain moments) does a fine job of establishing his protagonist’s fraught mental state. But none of it really coalesces into anything definitive about Margherita. It all feels fragmented, making certain sequences—like one where Margherita purposely smashes her mom’s car after catching her driving—feel baffling or out of place. Moretti makes it impossible to find anything about Margherita worth latching on to, and as a result, the central drama over her mother’s passing falls flat.

At least Mia Madre benefits from its cast. Moretti and Lazzarini feel somewhat wasted (Margherita’s mother barely registers as a character, which also contributes to why there’s almost no emotion in the film), but Buy and Turturro keep the film from being entirely forgettable. The shoddy script makes Buy’s characterization weak, but she does a terrific job expressing the strain of keeping herself together professionally while her personal life goes to hell (in other words, her behaviour may not be relatable but her emotions are). And Turturro turns out to be the lifeblood of Mia Madre, making Barry a frequently funny and bombastic presence who’s seemingly dedicated to pushing Margherita even closer to the edge. But the talent of these two performances might only be magnified here when compared to the very miniscule drama going on elsewhere in the film. The only thing Moretti achieves with Mia Madre is something that was most likely unintended: he managed to make a film about the death of a parent that inspired nothing but complete indifference.

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2015 Cannes Film Festival Trailers and Images http://waytooindie.com/news/2015-cannes-trailers-images/ http://waytooindie.com/news/2015-cannes-trailers-images/#respond Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:02:36 +0000 http://waytooindie.com/?p=34785 Trailers and official images for films playing at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival.]]>

Just last week the lineup for the 2015 Cannes Film Festival was announced, and slowly more information about the films playing is starting to surface. While many of the films don’t even have official synopsis yet, a select few have released images and trailers. It’s hard to believe that 2015 Cannes is less than a month away already (this year the festival runs from May 13th – May 24th), but we’ll be keeping this festival media guide updated as the festival approaches and more information about Cannes titles come in.

Amnesia

Director: Barbet Schroeder | Special Screenings

Amy

Director: Asif Kapadia | Midnight Screenings

A documentary on the late singer/songwriter, who died of alcohol poisoning in 2011.

Carol

Director: Todd Haynes | In Competition

Set in 1950s New York, a department-store clerk who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman.

Carol 2015 movie

Irrational Man

Director: Woody Allen | Out of Competition

On a small town college campus, a philosophy professor in existential crisis gives his life new purpose when he enters into a relationship with his student.

Irrational Man 2015 movie

Inside Out

Director: Peter Docter | Out of Competition

After a girl moves to a new home, her emotions are plunged into chaos as they compete for control of her mind.

Inside Out 2015 movie

The Little Prince

Director: Mark Osborne | Out of Competition

A pilot crashes in the desert and meets a little boy from a distant planet.

The Little Prince movie

Mad Max: Fury Road

Director: George Miller | Out of Competition

In a post-apocalyptic world, in which people fight to the death, Max teams up with a mysterious woman, Furiousa, to try and survive.

Mad Max Fury Road

Mia Madre

Director: Nanni Moretti | In Competition
Mia Madre movie

Our Little Sister

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda | In Competition

A story that revolves around three sisters who live in their grandmother’s home and the arrival of their 13-year-old half sister.

Sicario

Director: Denis Villeneuve | In Competition
Sicario

The Tale of Tales

Director: Matteo Garrone | In Competition
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