Illuminata

[peach]

Aside from those amazing cheekbones, the first thing that you notice is those eyes, my eyes are green but not quite that shade. There is a "feel" to this film. My sister is in the boz and I asked her is this how actors really behave, she sad sadly yes. She thought Ruf was goofy, and that Sarandon nailed it. That sad look he gives when he finds out that he will not be performing in Tuccio's play.

It felt like it should have been performed on stage. Thank you Mr. Turturro for being brave enuf to go ahead with your film when I'm sure you had your nay sayers. Loved it from beginning to the end, especially that last speech, did you notice that tear slowly inching itself downward on Ruf? It's a little gem.

[tipou]

the whole speech is a gem. that whole sequence in the play within the play, with the stairway to the moon, the delicate veils, the waves, the audience gripped by this perfect "ending"... yes, and that tear. oh boy.

[robbiesheik]

I still haven't seen it and I will do my best to watch this one next. Sounds wonderful!!

[tipou]

i understand it might not be everyone's cup of tea, i am quite sukrprised about liking it myself. its one of those very personal works of art, you might always be one inch short of totally hating it.
i admit, at the beginning, i had doubts... i just hanged on to it and the magic suddenly hit... you just have to let yourself go through it.
and then, there is an angel face and big green eyes to help you through...

[ambra]

I just got my copy in the mail today as I was headed to work and plan to watch it as soon as I get home. I freaked out a little because the description on the back is in Spanish but it does say the film is in English and the dvd is meant for region 1&4 dvd players, so hopefully, I won't have any problems.

[tipou]

can't wait to read what you think about it.
best stuff to watch for: every scene with susan sarandon, any scene with turturro and his wife, the final play (sigh), and of course everything with rufus, especially the end, but also the bit in the staircase where he is simply amazingly funny.
that is all about 3/4 of the movie, so you should like it.

[lizap]

I just watched this today for the first time (ambra, I also have the one with the Spanish subtitles). What a riot! What a gem! I'm going to have to watch it again to catch all the subtleties. I just loved the way they introduced the players at the beginning, in lieu of credits.

I noticed when watching the trailer from 'extras' that some of the things shown in the trailer did not make it into the film. This is so annoying, as two of them appeared to be Rufus scenes.

In case those who plan to watch it soon want to be surprised

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I was a bit confused at times. Why was Rufus being replaced by that clearly lesser actor? Was it because the manager was displeased with his sexual indulgences?

I wasn't clear on what was going on with the Rufus replacement. Why was he favored? He seemed quite nondescript to me. Do we know what illness he suffered from?

[ambra]

Just finished watching this and I loved it! Christopher Walken was hysterical, especially in the scenes with Bill Irwin. I do wish Rufus had had more screen time but his scenes were very memorable, especially the final one. He had me crying with his performance. I somehow got a copy that has been edited for language so the scene where he's cursing at the audience has been dubbed with "Frig you" instead of the actual expletive and in other parts of the movie, the "f" word is bleeped out all together. Someone mentioned he sounded like Stewie from "Family Guy" in that sequence and I definitely caught the similarity in the voices. My personal favorite line is when Dominique takes a big whiff of night air and says, "I smell sex." I don't know why I find that line so funny but I do! And the line about masturbation being a sin depending on where the other hand is was hysterical! Rufus not only has comedic skills--I would've loved to have seen the whole Quasimodo bit from the credits--but he has a talent for making seemingly unlikeable characters likeable. Dominique was an arrogant, egotiscal, jerk but I found myself liking him, even emphatizing with his frustration at having to watch a lesser actor in the lead role. I adored the way he just matter-of-factly said "This is what happens when an actor is miscast" or something to that affect, when his rival is flailing around on the stage and then he gleefully joins Tuccio onstage to announce his leading man status. I'm expecting TOTS tomorrow--well, technically today since it's almost 5am--and after seeing Rufus' comedic abilities in this film, I can't wait to see him in that!

[tipou]

and you're in for a treat. i still wonder why he has not been in dozens of comedies since then.

i loved the part in illuminata where he practiced his face to face with tuccio ("you BASTARD!"), and is barely interrupted when someone catches him in the act.
and, yes, the end sequence is amazing, just perfect and so sweet.

[tipou]

Feb 3, 2009 2:45:05 GMT lizap said:

I was a bit confused at times. Why was Rufus being replaced by that clearly lesser actor? Was it because the manager was displeased with his sexual indulgences?

I wasn't clear on what was going on with the Rufus replacement. Why was he favored? He seemed quite nondescript to me. Do we know what illness he suffered from?

same question marks for me, lizap.
in the comment track, turtorro tells his little son that dominique was punished by the lady director because he's been a bad boy, whatever that means.
i could not find what was wrong with the replacement either. there was no mention of any ailment that i can remember, as far as i am concerned he just died... dramatically. his best performance, i guess.

[ambra]

Feb 3, 2009 12:07:26 GMT tipou said:

and you're in for a treat. i still wonder why he has not been in dozens of comedies since then.

i loved the part in illuminata where he practiced his face to face with tuccio ("you BASTARD!"), and is barely interrupted when someone catches him in the act.
and, yes, the end sequence is amazing, just perfect and so sweet.

I must've been really tired and missed that scene or it was edited out since it seems I ended up with a copy that for some reason was censored. Is it towards the end when they think Tuccio is going to Paris without the troupe?

I got "Dark City" and "Shakespeare Retold" in the mail today. Normally, this would be my day off but since we're on mandatory overtime, I have to work until 11pm so I'll have to wait until then to watch them. Oh well, at least I have a job and now I have something to look forward to. I'll just keep my fingers crossed I don't get snowed in!

[peach]

Ambra, I'm glad you liked Illuminata, I loved it too. Ruf was hysterical and you're right why oh why hasn't he done more comedy???

You're going to like TOTS, Shirley Henderson was perfect and the chemistry between the two of them is superb.

Dark City was interesting and a really well made film, try to watch the special features too, Ruf talks about his role and they show some of his photographs. I liked it a whole lot.

[tipou]

[quote author=ambra board=work thread=167 post=42069 time=1233697924i loved the part in illuminata where he practiced his face to face with tuccio ("you BASTARD!"), and is barely interrupted when someone catches him in the act.
and, yes, the end sequence is amazing, just perfect and so sweet.
[/quote]


I must've been really tired and missed that scene or it was edited out since it seems I ended up with a copy that for some reason was censored. Is it towards the end when they think Tuccio is going to Paris without the troupe?
[/quote]

yes it is, he just does outside to vent, and it met there by tucci's wife who proposes to work on their scene together.

[ambra]

Then I definitely got an edited copy because it just shows the two of them at the stairwell talking. I wish the seller had known about that because I might have waited and bought a different copy.

[tipou]

oh, this sounds like a severely butchered copy to me.
the "you BASTARD!" scene is a great rufus scene.
this kind of censorship should be outlawed.