The Magic of Fellini

Rating:
Summary: Not so magical
Review: After seeing the other doc. just released on Fellini (i'm a born liar) I have to say this one left me slightly confused. On one hand there is a greater variety of clips from his films, they still omit many that I'd say are absolutely essential, but hey that's a nitpick. The problem comes with the strange feeling I get while watching this that it was made simply as a vehicle, a vanity project for the "director". She is an attractive Italian woman I will admit, but putting her name on every concievable surface, and her pictures, and making sure she gets some on camera time adds up to a feeling on unsincerity to me. And yet on the other hand there are some different interviews I'd previously not seen, Donald Southerland is much more enjoyable and affable to listen to on this disc than on "Born Liar", but don't be fooled by the promise of Scorsese and Woody, they talk for maybe 2 minutes total and they're clips from old interviews you've probably seen a million times. But if you're a Fellini nut, then you'll probably find something you like here... If I had to recommend one over the other I'd go with I'm a born liar,simply because there's more meat on its' bones.

Rating:
Summary: Lightweight TV Profile
Review: Unfortunately, this 52 minute documentary is nothing more than a string of mediocre interviews with clips from Fellini's films that cinephiles have all seen before. Not without charm (provided by Carmen Piccini's obvious enthusiasm for her subject), the doc may possibly serve as a very basic introduction to the Maestro's films but fans will be ill-served. It does not, in any way, capture Fellini's complex, enigmatic personality nor offer fresh, in-depth interviews with the master himself. It does not possess memorable camera work by a genuine documentarian nor an original and incisive script that would lift it out of the hagiographic, lightweight, cut-and-paste cable TV doc format . The short archival interviews with Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese are worthless for what they offer - nothing but platitudes - although Anthony Quinn's tame anecdotes make for pleasant enough viewing - which, ultimately, is what this hokey-pokey documentary is all about: a curiously uninspired and unrevealing stroll through the felliniesque.