Weirdest Marvel Superhero origin yet.

when i say all men are trash i don’t mean lazzaro

lazzaro is described as a man with an “honest face”. his eyes are coloured by an innocence and naivite that’s rare because we can’t afford to be innocent. so when the first tear falls, your cheeks feel damp too – not even lazzaro can get by on kindness alone. under capitalism, selflessness is perceived as a threat. there is no place for honest faces here.

we got julia ducournau and coralline fargeat resurrecting the new french extremity movement, and now alice rohrwacher breathing new life into italian neorealism! while the sub-genre’s  post-war predecessors such as The Bicycle Thieves and Umberto D. kept their tones somber and grounded, Happy as Lazzaro is more playful, incorporating magical elements without sacrificing the naturalism of the performances. 

i admit that italian neorealism has never been my cup o’espresso, but it’s hard to resist the warmth radiating from both hélène louvart’s sepia-toned super-16 cinematography and the awww-inducingly sweet Lazzaro — even as the fable warps from humble pastoral to urban fantasy. 

also, it’s now streaming on netflix!! just letting y’all know since they sure aren’t advertising it!!!!!!!

Finally gave Alice Rohrwacher’s Happy as Lazzaro a proper watch on Netflix. (Wish I was able to see on the big screen because Hélène Louvart’s Super 16 is lush) And it’s one of my faves of the year. What a fantastic follow-up to The Wonders.

Arriflex 416, Zeiss Ultra Prime Lenses
Laboratory - Augustus Color, Roma, Italy
Super 16 mm (Kodak Vision3 250D 7207, Vision3 500T 7219)

What is the role of a saint in a world that has turned its back on God in favor of capitalism? 

Surreal and funny and aching, the movie makes a potent political point while conjuring a modern day myth out of faces, objects and gestures.

Currently streaming on Netflix. Go and fall under this movie’s spell.

lazzaro is the human embodiment of this emoji 🥺🥺🥺

AFI 2018: film #10

“he’ll follow us, you’ll see”

such a cute character, but otherwise, it wasn’t for me. too much and too little going on simultaneously

I love: 
- White sunlight with blackened edges 
- Flip phones that only work when you extend the antenna
- Howling until time stands still
- Rocks that feel as foreign but look as beautiful as the moon
- Profiteroles with chocolate and fresh cream
- Dreams that come alive
- The smell of a good man

Such a beautiful and weird parable. I was surprised to see a movie with such an overtly Christian identity feel like it wasn’t sermonizing, but actually probing about what happiness means and how our positions toward others can create it in our lives. What do we identify as exploitation and what sorts of indignities do we allow our societies to perpetrate on our vulnerable people under the umbrella of normal business?

The ending kind of threw me for a loop, but I did really enjoy the rest. The middle hour is fantastic

Obra maestra

un mito contemporaneo hermoso. una belleza

my favorite part of this was the cinematography. I love me some super 16mm. The lead actor is gorgeous and it was fun to watch him the whole duration. The plot didn’t rly hit for me- it dragged a bit near the middle, but I can appreciate the commentary on capitalism and exploitation etc.

Fascinating, with a distinct voice and constantly surprising dramaturgical choices. The way the story evolves after the jarring midpoint really takes the plot and its underlying meanings to an unexpected level. And the creation of Lazarro is the perfect canvas for the complicated and depressing themes: naive and unwaveringly selfless, someone who can't stop seeing the good in people even if they're in the middle of exploiting him.

que lindo!

I forgot the last time a film hurt me so fucking much

🤍🤍🤍

incredible tbh. in one sense the movie examines italy’s transition from agrarian, semi-feudal peasant life to the somehow more haunting exploitation of lumpen urban workers in an austerity state, and in that way is quite mournful. in another, the film’s protagonist, lazzaro, pursues the evanescence of true loyalty and its incompatibility with contemporary material conditions. one of those unique and smart films that balances incisive social commentary within a fully legible artistic vision.

Bellissimo, commuovente. Mi ha ricordato un episodio avvenuto nella mia zona tempo fa; un gruppo di persone molto povero, che vivevano in strada, erano entrate in chiesa per la Messa, ma furono cacciati via per il cattivo odore che emanavano e il disagio che procuravano alle altre persone. Non mi sorprenderebbe se fosse stato d'ispirazione, chi sa. Veramente stupendo!

Immagini che nella prima parte ricordano un cinema europeo, una regia e un contenuto che trasmettono una realtà che forse ora siamo abituati a non ricordare. All’interno della sceneggiatura possiamo scovare nella seconda parte del film, tratti e pensieri che ricordano una dimensione più spirituale ed incorporea, un messaggio che a volte è riuscito nel suo intento pur costruendo un finale che alla prima visione può essere confuso.