[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by demonrail666

Roma always disappoints me a bit. Given the subject matter it should've been the ultimate Fellini film (and it does have some of his greatest scenes) but it never quite holds together for me in the way that his best films do. Not saying I don't like it, I just wish it was better.

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you're right that as a whole it lacks a glue, it's a bunch of moments pieced together, but some of those moments are so amazing! the people eating in the trattoria, the arrival by modern highway, the wartime brothels, the subway tunnel scene, the fashion show, the motorcycles (speaking of anger)... oh man... the variety show was a bit too long for me, but the social interactions that happen in it are great (and it reminds me of altman's usual chaos). but yeah, as a memoir for example, amarcord is better. still, fellini fails better than 99% of other filmmakers succeed, so it's kind of a contest with himself at that point (for me anyway--i'm a huge fan).

the other thing is that here he has such tremendous creative freedom! maybe it's the excess freedom that makes it fall apart a bit, but the freedom itself is amazing to witness. things like his own role in the film are not surprising in out post-python super-meta age, but when he's interrogated by the students and he decides to do the variety show instead ("i'll do it my way")... that-- did something to me. it's the vision of the poet over the ideologist.

i'll check out the anger movie. that still looks great!