Genres

Visitors Review

2013-05-22 02:48:11

Good from start to finish.

This was a tightly directed movie keeping the storyline in tact through thewhole story. Characters couldn't have been better. The locations wereinteresting. In all, one of the best movies of the year, if not thebest.

eroka 2013-05-21 09:10:39

Beware of the sentimental mush!

Saw this at the Jerusalem Film Festival 2000, and this was the worstEuropean movie I saw this year. It has a ridiculous plot, silly twists,English actors who portray in English characters that would speak CzechandGerman shot somewhere in the Czech Republic. The only time someone speaksthe language they should is when a German soldier is shouting "get awayfromhere!"...Has subtle yet very strange gay-erotic undertones - and that is betweentwocharacters that end up being brothers! - very uninspiring acting and verybadly written characters. Some actors do not look their character's ageandif you really try and create the geneology of this broken family - youwouldcome to some very strange conclusions (I refer you to the fact that Jeno'smother has a second child when he is about 20 yet she looks not a day over25, Sophie looks like 13 years old but married to a guy over 40 and Jenomeets her when he is about 18, Costanza was born in a concentration camp(?!) and in 1974 looks like 21 instead of over 30 and soon).This is an example of what happens when good talents try to create a filmthat would sell "internationally", i.e. will be sold under the Americandistribution system. You get a horrible muddled plot spoken i the wronglanguage and shot in the best/worst way Italian manure can be shot in. Itisartistically for the ignorant who won't even notice that the CannonInversois not truly an inversed canon.. Now how dumn is that?!Avoid unless you want to see beautiful shooting locations. The music is OKbut gets the standard not-more-than-2-minutes-a-piece-please attitude. Ashame to the amazing legacy of Italian film making.

rer.international 2013-05-17 07:27:25

Excellent balance of dramatic and poetic tones. Touching sound track.

I expected to see a simple plotted movie based just on a romantic lovestory. I was wrong. Beautiful plot, extremely well balanced between drama,poetry, musical vibrations, imagery and strong ecstatic emotions. My eyes,my ears, my skin were completely raped from the beginning to the end. Themovie also discloses unusual parental relations teaching some lessons. Iwaspretty moved by the unlettered stepfather going beyond his poor originsandbelieves and granting his son the way to reach his dreams. My complimentstoall: play writers, director, actors and music composers (included Debussy:-)). They have done an excellent work!

Lisa Leone 2013-05-16 23:37:23

Loved the actors, loved the film.

I just saw this film at the Newport Beach Film Festival (CA, USA) and itreally moved me. I decided to see it because Gabriel Byrne was in it, butIfound a lot more to enjoy. Namely the three young actors chosen to playJeno, Sophie, and David. They were fantastic, especially Hans Matheson(Jeno). I was captivated by each of them, by how well they conveyed love,fear, joy, and sadness throughout the film, often with just theexpressionson their faces. Ennio Morricone provided his usual elegant score behinditall. And the scenery was beautiful, in a very Eastern European crumblybuilding kind of way.Anyone who appreciates good music and good film should keep an eye outforthis one. There are some minor plot flaws, some of the scenes border onschmaltzy, and they definitely shoot for the tear ducts at the end, butit'sstill worth watching.

Veda Urias 2013-04-26 21:30:03

A genuinely touching film

I saw this movie with a large group of Jewish Film Festival Patrons andtheoverall impression of everyone I spoke to was overwhelmingly positive. Regardless of age or gender, this film touches and makes one feel trulymoved. The performances were outstanding throughout the film. The actorwhoportrayed Jeno Varga was inspirational. The actor who played Sofie Levywasluminously beautiful. The film itself was filled with interesting plottwists and a interesting "mystery." The culmination was fulfilling andinspirational. The film also had great cinematography. While this wasnot a "perfect" film and onecould point out "flaws" in the ages or some details of the film, noneof that distracts from this WONDERFUL film. For ANYONE (Jew, non-Jew,male,female, young or old) wanting to see a genuinely touching andinspirational film about music, life, love, and a bit of everything,see Canone Inverso, a really delightful film.

nihao 2013-04-26 01:08:02

Serious Film Buffs Abstain!

Fabio Cianchetti's photography, Hans Matheson's passion and EnnioMorricone's music can't save this one... Sloppy direction andimpossible age differences riddle this entangled plot and, eventuallysink it. What remains is Beautiful locations in Czeck Republic, a fewwell handled minor roles (Giordano, Prodan and Pappalardo), and theconviction that music and love are twins. What Mr. Maurensig the authorof the original, fine Novel thought of this cinematic spaghetti is amystery.... we have our opinion. Nonetheless, if you are at a loss forcinema viewing and are a lover of pretty faces and Violin music...well, maybe "Canone Inverso" by director/actor(?!) Ricky Tognazzi,son-it appears of the great Ugo Tognazzi, will suit you quite nicely!

2013-04-09 15:05:12

Quite nice!

It was a really good movie, it would have been amazing if it hadn't beenfor the ending. I think it was resolved way too easily andsimply. Everything was really good, but unfortunately they didn't know whento make it come to an end.My compliments to the actors, they did a really good job. If you stillhaven't seen this movie, take a chance to do so, you can't missit!

RudolfhetRendier 2013-04-08 21:13:40

Flawed but enjoyable!

What a strange movie. It's flawed and messy, but I enjoyed it.The story jumps from 1970 to 1968 to 1939 and back and forth for acouple of times, but this never annoyed me. The problem is that therehappens just too much; like the movie doesn't know where to focus on(the music, the romance, brotherhood, mystery?). The beginning isperfect, but it descends into chaos.The acting is very diverse. Hans Matheson plays the main character. Ithink he must be about 18 years old most of the time, but he gigglesand jumps around like an 8 year old girl. And so do all is friends, whoseem to overact in every scene. Other actors, like Mélanie Thierry,Gabriel Byrne, Ricky Tognazzi and Peter Vaughn act just great.(SPOILER)But it seems very strange that many of them are portrayals ofeach other in different stages of the lives, they don't look like eachother at all!(/SPOILER).The music must be mentioned. The music carries the movie. I do have thesoundtrack by Ennio Morricone (and pieces by Bach, Pagiani, Dvorak anda Debussy) and it's excellent. The music, when preformed in the movie,literary brought me to tears. The Canone Inverso is a very movingpiece, the concerto too (don't remember the exact name). A faintlydistorted Clair De Lune is very beautiful, but is used a little toomuch (the piece on the CD only appears once and runs about 2 minutes,but appears maybe 10 times in the movie). Without doubt, the music isthe best thing about this movie. It's the heart of the movie, and ifmusic plays such a role, which composer is a better choice than Italianmaestro Morricone? The production itself is very good. The sets lookgreat and it seems that the put most of the budget for sets to gooduse. Most of the movie revolves around Prague and seems to be filmedthere. It all feels very real, but don't expect Doctor Zhivago.This movie by Ricky Tognazzi is flawed. But a flawed gem can be greattoo. It's very romantic and the film breathes romance most of the time.When it doesn't do this, it feels strange and a little weak. Overall:7/10. Could have been better, but still enjoyable!

guil fisher 2013-04-04 12:30:02

Bravo

Okay, I'm a hopeless romantic for love stories and classic music. Ihappened upon this gem of a movie by chance while searching for filmsthat had Lee Williams cast in them. This young actor amazed me inanother film called No Night Is Too Long. His sensitivity is abundantin this one as well. An extremely handsome expressive face, he playshis role of David with great depth. Add to this the excellent acting ofhis fellow actors, Hans Matheson in the leading role of a youngviolinist who falls in love with Sophie, played beautifully by MelanieThierry, a concert pianist. The three stars bring honest performancesin their fated relationships in the world of music and pre-Nazi Europe.The Photography was brilliant and the direction by Ricky Tognazzi, sonof famed director Ugo Tognazzi, was wonderful.In supporting roles I also liked Gabriel Byrne and director Tognazzihimself playing the father of both of the young men. If you get achance to see this, do so. For you'll love the music, scenery and fineacting by an excellent cast.

shenj1001 2013-04-04 04:57:22

The best film I've seen in years!

The film is captivating, inspiring, and touching. The cinematography andsound track are awesome! It has an intriguing plot with good characterdevelopment. The acting is superb. Hans Matheson definitely stole thescreenwith his character portrayal and good looks. He is the most handsome andcaptivating man! It's a shame that US audiences are not familiar with themovie at all.

paolo-28 2013-03-31 07:23:48

A romantic drama in Praha

By the beautiful novel by Paolo Maurensig. It is the story of a Steinerviolin and of his young owner Jeno Varga. It's a romantic drama filmed inPraha. Wonderful good music by Claude Debussy... I really enjoyed thisfilm.Oh, by the way, Paolo Maurensig is from Udine, my town, inItaly...

2013-03-30 12:58:30

Unique and so enjoyed watching

This review is from: Canone Inverso - Making Love (DVD) This tells the story of young musicians who were in love, and in love with their musical passions. Hans did a marvelous job playing a young europeon lad from the time of childhood loved his fathers music and violin, though he never knew his father until later in adulthood, the joy turned to shame. This is a true love story as well as a young girl tries to understand her past and her roots though overshadowed by vague memories of living in a german prison camp with her parents which she could barely remember, but an aquaintence helped her to fill in the chapters of her life she so longed to know. Hearts break, love and mend in this tale, truely a movie to see and keep in your collection!

alexdara 2013-03-23 17:11:03

poetic, nice plot, nice photography, nice soundtrack

Another Italian film featuring poetry and drama by means of a very nicephotography, an intriguing plot, the usual involving soundtrack by EnnioMorricone (Once upon a time in America), intense playing by MelanieThierry(wonderful) and Hans Matheson.Definitely to be seen.

caius iulius caesar 2013-03-23 07:36:41

Life, music, love, and tragedy... Just superb!!!!!

Life, music, love, and tragedy: four elements beautifully linkedtogether in this Tognazzi's great Italian cinema jewel. Two musicians;a superb romance destroyed by the Nazis in its culminating happiness; avague memory sprung by the notes of a violin's music piece; anastounding film, and a delightful score by Ennio Morricone whichillustrates a love story between a violinist (Jeno) and a pianist(Sophie), both stigmatized by their Jewish origins.The first time I sawthis film at Rome I was broken to tears... and every time I see it Ican't fight with all the deep emotions and feelings this visual jewelprovokes on me. I always finish crying, despite the hundred times I'veseen it. The original story by Paolo Maurensig set in Italy here isplaced during the nazi regime and the '68 Praga Spring, and I thinkthat Tognazzi's choice is just accurate: it gives a historical, henceglobal, dimension to a tragedy based in endless love. How superbcharacterizations those of Thierry and Matheson, according to mesuperior to those of Winslet and DiCaprio in "Titanic"...!!! "CanoneInverso" demonstrates that you don't need to sink billionaire ships noruse info graphic (and expensive) effects to make a great, unforgettablefilm: only good actors, good story, good direction and good music areneeded. If you're gonna do something, do it with all the passion ofyour soul, because life goes, and suddenly you could see all thingsgone away... life itself. Enjoy every second, love as if you wouldnever do it again, live with intensity... I mean, make love to life atevery moment. These are the inner messages of the film, treated in anelegant (European) way, without any Hollywoodean artificial taste. Thisis "ars gratia artis" cinema, and you will never forget it!!!!! Whenshowing this movie to my university students at film clubs or schoolmovies festivals, I've always made an "experiment": I ask them to closetheir eyes and listen the "Concerto Interrotto" end title music afterseeing the entire movie. No one can stop the tears!!!!! That's thepower of this Morricone's soundtrack: this is not Hollywood adagiosound (thank God!!!!), but an allegro con fuoco that only talks aboutjoy, passion and contained pleasure... Despite the "Twilight"(awful!!!!) saga that has contaminated their young, tender souls, mypupils fall in love with Sophie and Jeno; because these characters arenot superstupidheroes, nor they have strange (idiot) powers: they'rejust two boys that want to love, to have a chance to live; they're twoyoung talents with all against them, only with their music as a swordand their love as a guide. They're so fragile, so passionate, sodefenseless... so human. This is my film number one, and its soundtrackmy favorite one. If I had to go to the moon in order to scape the crazy2012 "world's end" circus, I would take with me this movie. Giveyourselves the pleasure to admire it, and you'll know why. After seeingit, and when you'll make something with passion, 'cause you like to doit, you will say like me: "stiamo faccendo l'amore"!!!!!!!!