Fulvue Drive-In.com
Current Reviews
In Stores Soon
 
In Stores Now
 
DVD Reviews, SACD Reviews Essays Interviews Contact Us Meet the Staff
An Explanation of Our Rating System Search  
Category:    Home > Reviews > Drama > Comedy > Teens > Politics > Italy > Caterina In The Big City (2005/Empire Picture/First Run Features)

Caterina In The Big City (2005/Empire Picture/First Run Features)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C     Extras: C-     Film: B-

 

 

Instead of another film about a young girl that is melodramatic and unrealistic, Paolo Virzi’s Caterina In The Big City (2005) is a surprisingly smart film (written by Francesco Bruni & Virzi) about the title character (Alice Teghil) having to move from the spacious seaside nature of her home to an apartment in Rome where she meets all kinds of keyed up people, including students at her new school who are obsessed with class division and politics.

 

More consistent than not, she has to deal with being either rejected or ignored, but also her dysfunctional family and a father (Sergio Castellitto) who himself is a controversial writer, intellectual and is radical in ways that are not helping her life at all.  Ironically, she tries to meet people with interests of her own age, and they tend to be lite clones of him.

 

The film has problems and issues with its conclusion, but even with a stupid Robert Benigni appearance (to make this more commercially viable?) is better than most such films being turned out by Hollywood now, especially with young female leads.  Hannah Montana this is not.  It is therefore worth a look.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 2.35 X 1 image was shot in Super 35mm film and is too soft in this presentation, maybe with a PAL-to-NTSC conversion issue.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 is barely stereo and further points to this master being down a few generations.  Extras are almost nonexistent, but include stills of the film, its trailer, text on the director, awards text, director filmography and six previews for other Empire DVD releases.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo


Marketplace


 
 Copyright © MMIII through MMX fulvuedrive-in.com