Hey folks, Harry here... In the land of Leone, Rodriguez unfurls ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO... there's something really cool about that. When Lucas held is top secret brainwashing session of the top directors in film today up at Skywalker... It wasn't Lucas' work on STAR WARS EPISODE 2 that was convincing filmmakers that perhaps the days of Film Stock were numbered... it was Rodriguez's ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO reel. The difference is... In ATTACK OF THE CLONES, so much of what you are seeing is computer generated, that unless you're just paying attention to the faces... the HD issue really isn't significant. HOWEVER, on ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO - this is the one that looks absolutely cinematic in an untouched way. That lighting, the floating fuzzies in the light... the high speed work, the low light practicals... this thing looks beautiful, and that's what got film traditionalists thinking that the days of emulsion are numbered. From Venice comes the look at how ONCE UPON A TIME IN MEXICO played in the country of Leone!
Hi Harry
long time aicn-ed, first time aicn-er.
Yesterday I had the chance to see "Once upon a time in Mexico" here at the Venice Film Festival. Rodriguez, Depp and Hayek are still here (Depp is also promoting "Pirates", opening on the 5th in Italy) and let me say the most frequent thing you hear about the movie here is "tribute to Sergio Leone".
The movie looks really good, some people (mostly journalists) in the audience didn't even know it's been shot in HD and were kind of shocked to find out. Even if I did know that, it didn't make a difference: it looks like Lucas was right after all, and digital is now a seriously valid alternative to film.
I can't go too much into details in reviewing this, 'cause I have to go to work now and I don't have time, but it seemed to me the movie was very well received by everyone in the audience. Personally, I loved it, but I guess it couldn't be different, for I loved the first two movies in the "mariachi" trilogy.
Most of all, as I wrote before, this movie is a tribute to cinema, especially Leone. I think any film fanatic will see it at least twice to spot all the little details that Rodriguez has consciously borrowed from some of the movies he's fond of, skillfully mixing them with his comic book kind of direction and style. The acting is very good, the soundtrack is fabulous, and even though at times you get the feeling of "been there, shot that", the movie is a really fun ride: ironic, uber-fast, hyperbolic, exagerated.
Ciao for now, from the wonderful city of Venice
FB
