Iris Blond

Rating:
Summary: 'Atsa! Bella senza trucco!
Review: Middle-aged guy hates his dull musician career, hooks up with foxy young girl, they quickly take off with success, then he loses girl to the very success he built up for them. There's so many funny characters and a great back-story in this traditional tragic comedy. I'd be disappointed if it was dubbed. The Italian-Belgian-French-English dialogue (w/ English subtitles) is part of this film's character. Yes, the euro-techno-pop music that gets them their success makes the "success" part a little far-fetched, but pretend it was really awesome and go with the story. (The end title song is pretty memorable though, both versions. And that "Nervous" song gets stuck in your head, regrettably.) A good film overall. Well worth it if you're into foreign comedies at all, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: 'Atsa! Bella senza trucco!
Review: Middle-aged guy hates his dull musician career, hooks up with foxy young girl, they quickly take off with success, then he loses girl to the very success he built up for them. There's so many funny characters and a great back-story in this traditional tragic comedy. I'd be disappointed if it was dubbed. The Italian-Belgian-French-English dialogue (w/ English subtitles) is part of this film's character. Yes, the euro-techno-pop music that gets them their success makes the "success" part a little far-fetched, but pretend it was really awesome and go with the story. (The end title song is pretty memorable though, both versions. And that "Nervous" song gets stuck in your head, regrettably.) A good film overall. Well worth it if you're into foreign comedies at all, you won't be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: Funny
Review: The plot is very simple: a middle aged musician is obsessed by what a fortune teller told him about him falling in love with a singer who writes poetry and her name means a flower.

It is a very funny movie. The actor is very funny and spontaneous. Although my Italian is not very good I laughed more than an average Hollywood comedy. Even more than My Big fat Greek wedding that was considered one of the funniest movies in Hollywood (I did not find it that funny!)

I encourage you to watch it, to see how other countries make comedies.

Rating:
Summary: I can't help but be crazy about Iris Blond
Review: This Italian romantic comedy made for a great change of pace for me, and it is not a film you soon forget. It's a very funny movie, and I loved the two main characters - until the movie changed radically as it worked its way toward the end. What had been a perfectly enchanting Iris became something quite different in both look (why did she have to cut and dye her hair?), attitude, and behavior. The whole thing knocked me for a bit of a loop, but I was sure I would find my way back to the beaten path by the time the film ended - it did not happen, as I found myself mildly shocked when the credits began to roll. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; Iris Blond proved itself to be a very unpredictable film, but the overall effect ended up as just a little bit depressing.

Carlo Verdone and Claudia Gerini are fabulous in their roles; let there be no mistake about that. Verdone plays Romeo Spera, a musician whose life and career is thrown for a loop by an act of betrayal. Desperately unhappy, he seeks the wisdom of a tarot card reader, and there he learns he will meet a woman with the name of a flower who will enthrall him with her poetry. Along comes Marguerite, a dark and brooding Belgian who sings the verses of some gloomy philosopher - apparently, Marguerite is the name of a flower, as well. This relationship has no spark at all, but Romeo stays with it because of the prophecy he was given. Then he meets a waitress named Iris, and he begins to reconsider his future. Iris is a free spirit, but she writes poetry and has an impressive singing voice. The two soon begin a secret collaboration, but Romeo eventually leaves Marguerite and moves in with Iris. All they do is work together, to Romeo's chagrin, as Iris seems to have boyfriends coming in and out through a revolving door. By putting Iris' words to some sort of modern geeky electronic music (which isn't all that bad, actually), the duo - now known as Iris Blond and the Freezer - soon find success. Well, Iris does, anyway. Therein lies the problem that takes over the film's final half hour.

Leaving aside the movie's expectation-defying conclusion, the one fault I find with Iris Blond is the fact that it gives us a romance without love. Sure, Romeo is captivated and somewhat obsessed with Iris, wanting to be much more than her partner, but he never struck me as being in love with the young lady. In terms of the film's entertainment value, though, that doesn't seem to matter a whole lot. There are plenty of laughs to be found here, and Iris' bubbly spirit lifts you up and carries you through the first two-thirds of the movie (until she changes). Even the generally dark mood that permeates the final scenes is momentarily lifted when Romeo reluctantly hits the town with Iris' father.

The film is subtitled in English, thank goodness - I would have hated to miss all of the Italian (and Belgian and French) dialogue; attempting to dub this film would have resulted in a disaster. Overall, I would recommend Iris Blond; it's different, it's funny, and it's capable of surprising you in a number of ways.