Cinema paradiso

BobOnARoll designed his own Italian Film Festival this weekend. Last night was Il Divo, a film about the Mafia political scandals tied to ex Italian Prime Minister Giulio Andreotti  and tonight, Valentino, about...well, you know who....

The Andreotti film was marvelous, almost Felliniesque in atmosphere and technique.  The complex plot and cast of characters are unknown to most Americans, but the Mafia trials of Andreotti and others during the late 80s and early 90s were the equivalent of what might have been here in the US had Richard Nixon gone to trial for Watergate---and they were a preoccupation of the news media when I first started working as a consultant in Milano years ago.  

As for Valentino, well it was a paean to an extraordinary artist.  I admire him, not just for the beauty of his clothes and his success and his lifestyle (all of which are lovingly presented in the film), but really for the coherence and stubbornness of his artistic vision.  Uncompromised until the end.  Like many of the great editors I have been privileged to work with in my career.  

Hearing the spoken Italian language again made me nostalgic for my friends and life over there, and I think I need to go back soon.

In a wistful mood, I headed home and ran right into my first bus stop promotion sign for Star Trek, and there he was----dear Scott---right there on the poster (middle far right) sandwiched between Leonard Nimoy and Gene Roddenberry.  

WOW.

So proud and so thrilled for him.

It was enough to make a grown man cry.

I did.