"Garibaldi's Lovers," by Silvio Soldini

"Garibaldi's Lovers" is a cute tale about relationships. Silvio Soldini intertwines five different lives into one story through odd encounters. You'll laugh watching this movie however, the story is not particularly clever or new. For instance, Alba Rohrwacher, who in numerous occasions has proven to be a very talented actress, in this film she seems forced to embody an italian version of Amelí. It is a pity to admit that she overacts and is not credible throughout most of the film. 

Having said this, I loved the treatment of the image and the way Soldini gives life to un-animated things such as the statues and the stork. The camera moves slowly as a deep voiceover talks, giving the impression that Garibaldi's eyes are moving as he over-watches the city. Moreover, Soldini uses one of the oldest tricks in the box: Soviet montage theory. Therefore, depending on the intonation of the voice and what is spoken, the face of the statue seems to change expressions. In addition, he plays with over the shoulder shots giving the illusion that the statue is having a deep conversation with the stork. Given the fact that these scenes were done so impeccably well, it was very disappointing that the very last shot of the film is a low-budget special effect of a statue moving... This shot was plainly unnecessary and leaves you with a bad aftertaste once the film is over. 

Another interesting point that this film makes is the treatment of death and ghosts. Soldini made Paradise sound just like another country which has a tyrannic government, hierarchy, protests, and even roommates. In addition, there are different states or paradises, depending on your religion and where you come from. According to Soldini, we never become equal, not even after our own death. 

"Manhattan," by Woody Allen

     Given the fact that one of the elements that attract me the most about films is the cinematography, I’ll start this paper talking exactly about that. Gordon Willis’ cinematography in Manhattan is spotless and beautiful; it certainly takes this Woody Allen’s film to a different level. The control of lighting and camera work are impeccable, perhaps even perfect.
     In terms of lighting, Willis tends to alternate high contrast with soft lighting and predominantly black scenes with white scenes. The use of provocative lighting is mostly obvious during the planetarium scene. Here, the characters acquire a cartoonish quality given the strong backlight. In addition, the characters seem to become inhabitants of the moon thanks to the lighting. They amalgamate effortlessly to this new word. They walk through the cracks of the moon just like Melies’ explorers in A Trip to the Moon.
         In terms of camera movement, we only get pans and dollies, nothing exorbitant. However, it is interesting to notice the use of unusual framings. Willis tends to have wide shots in which crucial action happens in the corners of the frame. Therefore, the audience is given the opportunity to choose where to focus and pay attention to. Willis also uses this kind of composition to show parallel actions. He does so by using multiple points of light in wide shots, separating and isolating characters from each other.
       It is interesting to notice that most of Woody Allen’s films do not follow the classical elements taught in screenwriting courses. ‘The character most change by the end of the film,” professors repeat incessantly, insisting this is the secret of any good film. However, in Manhattan, like in many other Woody Allen’s films, the characters, after going through a great deal of chaotic circumstances, wind up at the exact same spot where they started. In the case of Manhattan, Isaac tries to get back with Tracy, and Mary continues her affair with Yale. Not following the rules has worked out well for Woody Allen, whose work is considered brilliant worldwide.