How sad is this?

It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

As with another writer, after seeing the trailer I anticipated an amusing comedy. Once again, the director of the Turkish Bath presents, to this decades long out gay man, a dispiriting, downer. The Birdcage, was funny. Weekend was brilliantly on target. But this seemingly endless, unpleasant film presents a situation set in maybe 1970, not 2000, and certainly not in modern urban Italy among an upper-class family.Worse, I failed to smile more than twice. The campy guys were completely unreal, the situation not amusing.Please excuse the tonality here, I'm considered a witty guy, and I love to laugh. But this unrealistic melodrama was banal and unappetizing. The "2" score is only because of the lovely moments provided by the actress playing the Grandmother. Otherwise, like the (IMHO) absurdly over-rated Frances Ha, this was a movie I hoped to adore but cringed throughout . Alas.

This is another triumph by the brilliant Italian director of Turkish descent, Ferzan Ozpetek, whose SACRED HEART (2005, see my review) and FACING WINDOW (2003, see my review) were such spectacular cinematic masterpieces. In this complex ensemble film, much of which is comic and intensely satirical, human intolerance is examined with a microscope. The main focus is homophobia. The film is set in the Italian town of Lecce. The father in the film, who is the most extreme homophobe imaginable, has two unmarried sons in their late twenties or early thirties, both of whom he believes to be 'normal'. In fact, both are homosexual. One is just about to come out of the closet at a family dinner when his brother, who has been fore-warned of this, leaps up and comes out of the closet instead, thus diverting the father's inevitable wrath to himself and sparing his brother. So the one who confesses is expelled from the house (never darken my door again, you are not my son) and the family business (a huge pasta factory), while the other remains, conscience-stricken, not now daring to open his mouth about his own sexual inclinations. We are expected to believe that neither brother knew the other was gay. That works well for the story, though in real life I think it most unlikely! The film is a richly-textured tale with many characters, exploring the ironies, contradictions, insensitivities and over-sensitivities of our strange species with relentless humour, laughter, and despair. Once again, that compassionate and concerned observer of human tragedies and foibles, Ozpetek, pulls it off!

Having recently seen Loose Cannons and Animal Kingdon it was great to see such strong matriarchal figures in both films. Women of a certain age giving unbelievable performances in rather different circumstances and very different moral situations. I was so impressed with the grandmother in Loose Cannons and how her personal experience of thwarted love was keenly developed in her grandchildren and her encouragement to be their own people, especially words after at her funeral spoken by her.The grandmother in Animal Kingdom had a very different situation and was trying equally hard to manage her mentally unwell children after her only 'healthy' son is gunned down.The difference was opening up the world for her family or closing down to only what you know, ie the criminal world of Melbourne in the 1980's Both tremendous films and awesome performances from all the crew in both films, but I guess my star goes to Guy Pearce as the good cop in Animal Kingdom

This is one of the best movies of the year,a wonderful tale of hope,friendship,love and family.For those who want to laugh, cry and especially think about matters that are, ultimately, uncomplicated and simple to think about.The actors are all simply wonderful, the musical score a must, and the script consistent with the aim of the picture: to tell a tale about living life to the hilt, and being happy the way one is.The most beautiful and unforgettable moments are related to the on-screen presence of Tommaso, Marco, Alba and 'the nonna'.This is for me one of the best movies of 2010 and a wonderful,sensitive and unforgettable tale!