Saturno contro

few friends. different- commune stories. and the death. a film who seduce for the wise manner to present the fragility. for the perspective about friendship and love. and the broke of a circle. the sophisticated air, the status of pieces of a construction who becomes each a individuality , the looks, the touches, the tears, the shadows who covers, step by step, a kind of Paradise does Saturn in Oppposition special. not remarkable. only example of high craft of a real good director who explores, in smart manner, contemporary world from different sides, with profound delicacy. a film about need to escape from yourself, certitudes, the importance of refuge and the other. touching, bitter, seductive. almost strange.

Ferzan Ozpeteck returns to familiar territory but without the nerve, and self assuredness that he shown in the much better "Le Fatte Ignoranti" This time we're introduced to an unusual little group of friends doing all the usual things. Loving and and deceiving, being honest and compassionate, blatant, timid, courageous, self effacing. At times I thought "Saturno Contro" was going to deal with the tough theme that a gay lover is not a relative with all its thorny connotations but not such luck. Our characters are much more sophisticated and, apparently, the society they all live in, as well. There is no real conflict, really. Death is the thing and death is always powerful, specially when it touches the unsuspecting. Pierfrancesco Favino is wonderful. Human to the hilt. Even when he's given a far too long close up with tears that seem to, awkwardly, fight their way out. Luca Argentero, his lover, is definitely beautiful and gets, like Gabriele Garko in "Le Fatte Ignoranti" the most loving, lingering close ups. Again, I couldn't quite connect with Stefano Accorsi as a character or as an actor. Marherita Buy is a delight, as usual and Serra Yilmaz has become already Ozpeteck's good luck charm and she's always fun to watch. All in all, I was moved and annoyed at the same time.

I was really excited to see this film because I loved Hamam and I wasn't disappointed at all. Saturn in Opposition is really about a way of life that I feel lucky enough to have. It tells the story of a group of people who exist and stick together when faced with loss, difficulty and beside differences. I've always liked to think of friendship as a type of love. And I hope Mr Ozpetek would agree with me. The visual style is somewhat impulsive, but that makes the film more alive, personal. I'd recommend Saturn in Opposition to anyone who likes films about real life, friendship, emotionality, vulnerability. It carries a distinct European sensibility that I respect very much.

This is a film that tries to do for men what countless movies have done for women: expose the real pain men feel when love is lost. We've seen the genre exploited for the female market ad infinitum. We rarely see it for men.

That's the theme of this movie: how do men deal with the loss of love? For those of you who have seen it and are questioning what the movie was about, consider it. . . . There's the lover who abandons, the lover who is abandoned, the father who rejected, and the lover whose lover dies.

Aside from the title, a major clue is the reference to "Rebecca," a film about a man who grieves for lost love, and yet who is accused of murdering that love. It is perhaps the ultimate movie about submerged male emotion. In that film the woman (the second wife) is both a participant and an observer, as is the case with most of the women in this film. Then there's the title, a reference to a Saturnalia, a "party" where traditional roles are reversed. In this movie, it is the women who observe the men dealing with lost love, not the other way around as it usually is.

It's not difficult for me to understand the "tepid response" of some reviewers, particularly those who are male. Males are so unplugged from this part of life that it is understandable they could watch a whole movie about lost love and not recognize what it is.

This really beautifully cast ensemble piece (the best group I have seen since THE METHOD)is wonderfully directed by Turkish director Frazan Ozpetik, whose films I intend to find and watch....not just at premieres. The one actress who is quite remarkable as one of the most interesting and amusing and attractive cast members Ambia Angiolini. The cast, very attractive and some for plot reasons. What is so surprising to me is why Hollywood hasn't grabbed actor Luca, who is a heart throb and grabbed him like they did a lot of Almodovar's leading men. One of the reasons some of the reviewers complain about the film is mostly because it is a bit grand and for sophisticated tastes including the homosexuality driven plot which is not for most online reviewers even though the film took a handful of Italian Oscars. For those who claim it may be soap operaish, they forget that prior to reality shows, the world, not just Americans, thrived on soaps in most every country for decades; and still do in some. This film is made fascinating by the mixture of both gay and straight characters with little homophobic focus. If SATURN IN OPPOSITION isn't grabbed and remade either by the Weinsteins or some tasteful British group, I will be surprised. What I also have to mention is the stunning photography, lighting, art direction and most of all, the music. I am going to see about finding if there is a soundtrack which is really inventive and organic.