On Netflix: HAPPY AS LAZZARO, Alice Rohrwacher's fable of Capitalism Italian-style, then and now

The holy fool/wise fool has a long and storied history in novels, theater and film, and the current addition of a fellow named Lazzaro -- in the new film, HAPPY AS LAZZARO, written and directed by Alice Rohrwacher -- burnishes the image a bit more brightly. A good friend of mine dislikes holy fool movies intensely and so did not care for this one (though he admitted there were good things about it). TrustMovies found the film very much worth seeing on a number of levels, beginning with the performance of the title character by a first-time actor named Adriano Tardiolo, shown below.

Signore Tardiolo has a marvelous face and body, both of which are used by Ms Rohrwacher in precisely the right way that allows us to see this character more fully than do those around him. Lazzaro is guileless and beautiful; he's a helper. Though he is sometimes referred to as a saint, that is certainly not his intention. (Saints don't try; they simply do and are.) And if you suspect that Lazzaro's character is too good to be true, the filmmaker (shown below) has that objection covered, too.

Midway through the movie an event occurs that shows quite clearly that our Lazzaro -- as lovely and amazing as he and Tardiolo both are -- is a construct: someone who must hold together the movie and its two tales, one of "then" (the 1970s, more or less: were cell phones available, even to the wealthy?) and "now," a present day in which the hoi polloi are becoming ever more redundant.

I can't remember if I even heard the word Capitalism spoken in the movie, but the film is such an indictment of that much-loved/hated system, as it has worked in both past and present, that Happy as Lazzaro takes it place as a major political statement, as well as a fine film.

And while the movie indicts the behavior of the ruling class, whether it is individual, would-be royalty of yesteryear or today's banks and corporations, neither does it allow the masses to get off the hook. They are, as ever, docile, if sometimes scheming, sheep.

Within her framework of fable, Ms Rohrwacher brings to wonderful life all the many supporting characters who circle Lazzaro. One of the delights of the film is how these characters grow and age from the first section to the second. Despite the intervening decades, Lazzaro, of course, changes not a whit.

Every performance here is on the mark, whether from the non-professionals that make up much of the cast) to luminaries the likes of Sergi López, Nicoletta Braschi (above), and one of Italy's finest actors, Alba Rohrwacher (the filmmaker's sister), shown below with Tardiolo.

Streaming now via Netflix, after a very limited theatrical roll-out, the movie is a must-see for fans of Italian cinema, particularly those who fondly recall that country's ground-breaking, post-WWII neo-realism movement. 

Raama Mosley's THE BRASS TEAPOT is a little fable that'll charm the pants off you

Adorable, quirky, smart, sweet, funny and just a little frightening, THE BRASS TEAPOT -- the new movie from first-time/full-length filmmaker Raama Mosley -- is surprisingly original, given its age-old provenance: that evergreen fable about an exotic object that possesses magical powers. What the object is will be no mystery (it's that titular teapot, of course), but its special "power," along with how that power is conjured (one of several surprises the movie has up its sleeve), is something else. And that should remain one of the mysteries you'll only find out by seeing this little gem of a film.

I hope other critics don't give away our teapot's secret because it's such a tasty one, offering all kinds of interesting ramifications about the way we live now. Ms Mosley, shown at right, finds exactly the right tone to set her little fable off and running: a fairy-tale-like take on these current economic-and-unemployed times. Her Jack and Jill are an adorable couple named John and Alice. In these roles, the filmmaker has cast two of our best young performers -- Michael Angarano and Juno Temple -- both working at the top of their talented-and-still-growing abilities.

As newly married and so-in-love youngsters -- in bed, above, and off to work, below -- these two could hardly be more delightful, and part of the filmmaker's challenge is to make them grow and change into not so lovely people who still command our attention, caring and respect.

As in any fable worth its salt, our heroes must learn something about life. And so they do. But Mosley makes the journey so much fun and with so many odd highways and byways that we never grow bored, even if we rather expect what, at last, must happen.

Most enjoyable of all, as often as we see the teapot doing its thing, that operation never grows tiresome due to the increasingly fraught situations this demands. Angarano, above, has a role that suits his "everyman/boy" personality to a tee. (He also possesses one of the cutest asses to be seen on screen in a long while.)

Ms. Temple, above, continues her run of good work in good films -- from Dirty Girl through Killer Joe -- here showing off both her ability and versatility to excellent effect.

Also in the cast are Alia Shawkat, Alexis Bledel, Bobby Moynihan and current hunk-of-hunks Billy Magnussen (shown below, with his director). Everyone does just what is needed to keep the story rolling along, with Mr. Magnussen particularly appealing (to view), nasty (toward our sweet couple) and funny as hell to watch.

The Brass Teapot, from Magnolia Pictures and running 101 minutes, arrives in theaters this Friday, April 5, in New York City at the Cinema Village and West Hollywood at the Sundance Sunset Cinema, having been packing in the couch potatoes during its VOD play over the past month or so. Click here to see any further scheduled playdates and theaters.