Rating: 
Summary: The best foreign film I've seen in a long time
Review: I can't say enough about this film. I happened upon it by accident, and was blown away. The music, the story, the performances, the costuming... all of it over and above your average film.
I was never a fan of opera, and still am not overly fond of it. This film goes beyond musical taste. I was a little confused at first by all the "dream" sequences, and the significance of the horses, but it just took a second viewing (not a hardship at all!) to clear it all up.
Dionisi, as Farinelli, a handsome man in his own right, looks oddly gorgeous in an almost feminine way. His performance is phenominal - down to the difficult lip-synch, which I thought he carried off with a minimum of noticable mistakes. And the costumes - the stage sets - wow. Beauty beyond compare. The distinctive castrati voice, by the way, was a digital combination of a female soprano and a male tenor.
This is a beautiful period piece,with wonderful performances by the entire cast. I can't recommend it enough. And if you don't know who Stefano Dionisi is, you'll be a fan by the time the film is over.
Rating:
Summary: Never more impressed
Review: I have eclectic tastes--I watch Fellini, Altman, Halstrom, Eastwood, and Campion with equal enjoyment. But I have never been more impressed with a film than with "Farinelli."This is a character-driven story, not a plot-driven one. In "Farinelli" the essential debate in all art is fully played out on film: From whence does artistic beauty spring? From the interpretive vehicle or the creative one? From the source of the inspiration or from the one who is inspired? It even dares to ask whether there is an element of destruction in the act of creation. The triangles outlining this debate abound. Handel-Broschi-Farinelli is underscored by the relationships between Farinelli-Broschi-Alexandra and between Performer-Composer-Audience. I have seen this film 6 or 7 times and I still rediscover parallels along these themes. It is an impressive achievement to use art to outline art's own tensions without ever once losing sight of the overriding storyline or forcing your actors into unnatural posturing for the sake of making a debate point. Others have praised the sets, acting, music, lighting--in short, the ambience and opulence of the film. All that is here. And yet all that is also in "Amadeus" and "Immortal Beloved." What this offers that the others does not is the insider's take: If you watch this movie, you will feel Farinelli's emotions, Broschi's emotions and Handel's emotions as they strive for recognition through their art. This is not a movie from which you walk away sympathizing with one character or another. This is a movie from which you walk away knowing you have lived someone else's experience for a brief time.
Rating:
Summary: Never more impressed
Review: I have eclectic tastes--I watch Fellini, Altman, Halstrom, Eastwood, and Campion with equal enjoyment. But I have never been more impressed with a film than with "Farinelli." This is a character-driven story, not a plot-driven one. In "Farinelli" the essential debate in all art is fully played out on film: From whence does artistic beauty spring? From the interpretive vehicle or the creative one? From the source of the inspiration or from the one who is inspired? It even dares to ask whether there is an element of destruction in the act of creation. The triangles outlining this debate abound. Handel-Broschi-Farinelli is underscored by the relationships between Farinelli-Broschi-Alexandra and between Performer-Composer-Audience. I have seen this film 6 or 7 times and I still rediscover parallels along these themes. It is an impressive achievement to use art to outline art's own tensions without ever once losing sight of the overriding storyline or forcing your actors into unnatural posturing for the sake of making a debate point. Others have praised the sets, acting, music, lighting--in short, the ambience and opulence of the film. All that is here. And yet all that is also in "Amadeus" and "Immortal Beloved." What this offers that the others does not is the insider's take: If you watch this movie, you will feel Farinelli's emotions, Broschi's emotions and Handel's emotions as they strive for recognition through their art. This is not a movie from which you walk away sympathizing with one character or another. This is a movie from which you walk away knowing you have lived someone else's experience for a brief time.
Rating:
Summary: Never more impressed
Review: I have eclectic tastes--I watch Fellini, Altman, Halstrom, Eastwood, and Campion with equal enjoyment. But I have never been more impressed with a film than with "Farinelli." This is a character-driven story, not a plot-driven one. In "Farinelli" the essential debate in all art is fully played out on film: From whence does artistic beauty spring? From the interpretive vehicle or the creative one? From the source of the inspiration or from the one who is inspired? It even dares to ask whether there is an element of destruction in the act of creation. The triangles outlining this debate abound. Handel-Broschi-Farinelli is underscored by the relationships between Farinelli-Broschi-Alexandra and between Performer-Composer-Audience. I have seen this film 6 or 7 times and I still rediscover parallels along these themes. It is an impressive achievement to use art to outline art's own tensions without ever once losing sight of the overriding storyline or forcing your actors into unnatural posturing for the sake of making a debate point. Others have praised the sets, acting, music, lighting--in short, the ambience and opulence of the film. All that is here. And yet all that is also in "Amadeus" and "Immortal Beloved." What this offers that the others does not is the insider's take: If you watch this movie, you will feel Farinelli's emotions, Broschi's emotions and Handel's emotions as they strive for recognition through their art. This is not a movie from which you walk away sympathizing with one character or another. This is a movie from which you walk away knowing you have lived someone else's experience for a brief time.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely Stunning
Review: I rented the video after going to 5 different rental stores to find it, the first store it had been stolen, I know see why. I can hardly wait to own this DVD.
It touched me in so many ways. It may be a subtitled film but I didnt notice the subtitles at all, that to me is a mark of an excellent film.
Rating:
Summary: Farinelli-Great movie
Review: I saw this movie in the theartre when it was new. It's such a beautiful film to look at, and the music is so incredible you forget that it's in Flemmish and you're reading subtitles. If you like this movie I would also reccomend reading "Cry to Heaven" by Anne Rice. It's a story of the castrati and gives you an understanding of that time in history. It's a great compliment to the movie. As one has nothing to do with the other it's just a very fortunate coincidence. It's sad that there are no recordings of these beautiful voice as this custom was stopped and those who had performed had died before machanical recordings were popular. I beleive there was one who was actually recorded by Thomas edison on his new invention. It's something anyone alaive today will never be able to hear.
Rating:
Summary: Farinelli
Review: I'm not particularly concerned about review guidelines: I just want to register my delighted amazement and suggest that YOU WATCH THIS FILM. If your favourite films include The Outlaw Josie W, Bladerunner, Get Carter (original), The Enigma of Kasper Hauser, Barry Lyndon and Satyricon, then I suggest you prepare yourself for a treat.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Films I've ever seen
Review: It is an unforgetable masterpiece. My husband who does not know much about classical music was impressed so much, that he went and bought a copy to own. Watch it if you get a chance, you'll love it.
Rating: 
Summary: truth or what?
Review: Missed this flick since I live in a culturally deprived city in NJ (2nd largest), and was always interested in this cultural phen. My interest led me to book research: Berbier/Castratos in French with s so-so translation in English. On to the review:
Very good 'costume drama', evocative sets, imaginatively designed but parts were acted at times a bit woodenly. Overall, enjoyed it but to hear the vocal range one should listen to a CD.
What I was looking for was to hear the vocal range of 3 to 4 octaves similar to the violin. Recommended for cultural curiosity
Rating:
Summary: bravo!
Review: musical and erotic, Farinelli brings me to the world of opera.
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