gridoon2018
Considering that about 90% of a "A Pure Formality" takes place inside a decrepit police station, the writer-director, Giuseppe Tornatore, does a good job of preventing it from feeling too static (with the help of some brilliantly edited fractured flashbacks). What starts as a typical police procedural turns into something more philosophical, symbolic, powerful. It wouldn't be far off the mark to call this a two-hour episode of "The Twilight Zone", and as such it is as exhausting at times as the night of interrogation is for Gerard Depardieu. But it pays off, and the two stars (well, one star and one famous director in a rare starring role) are well-matched. *** out of 4.
darkrose_1
I did some research about the director after seeing another one of his movies and this one peaked my interest. Obviously the actors in this film was the first, but the story was close second. I saw the movie and really enjoyed it.I have to say that the beginning does drag a bit, probably because it is a puzzle that we unravel along with the inspector. So, there is confusion and things move slow.However, as the pace picks up and we learn more and more about the characters, it does become more interesting.The ending is shocking but really makes you think and definitely want to watch it again for more clues that you may have missed the 1st time around. I highly recommend to see the movie and then discuss with other people, like a good book that you can't wait to talk about with your friends and family.
yekayek
Not lots of people will understand this fully,may find it even boring, some might understand none of it,because its a work of unique ART created by the fantastic sight of the director,performances of depardieu and polanski.it doesn't get more tense as it goes along?! No,it seems unreasonable to do that,since every moment of this is more tense than anything you've ever felt in your life esp. the ending,I didn't think that it's a story about a crime not even for a second,its a story about the very being of each one of us. one thing the movie tries to tell us is that onoff somehow regrets what he has done,because he makes that call,that call that he would have never made in his life.now he finally understands what was the right thing to do and he doesn't even care that its too late to make that call! he is sure enough to go for it.
cliffordlee77
Una Pura Formalita...One of the top 5 films of my life.........The reason I include this film in the top 5 films of my life is because, it changed me. Really changed me. It showed me something about life. Something you can't learn about life by living life. Because what I learned about life from this film is BIGGER than that. A lesson about life that is BIGGER than the lesson you learn about life from LIVING life. Yeah, you read me right. You may know what I mean if you've seen "Far Away, So Close", and "Wings Of Desire", which is one story in two parts, and which is another film in my top 5 for the same reasons. Both offering an unlivelearnable lesson about life. I believe this is because we skim along in our day to day lives on the surface. And don't get too deep. Some films can, and do, focus us on a subject, and take us deeply into it, leaving us with a learning experience that stays with us long after. Like I say, some films DO go deep........but not THIS deep. And not on THIS subject. If you aren't similarly moved, either you slept through the film, or can't spell your own name, or I live in a dreamland, one. These are in the top 5 for me, for sure. I don't know what the other 3 are...hmmmmmmmm....maybe one of them is "The Last Picture Show"......yes.....that leaves two.Clifford Lee Noble 26 Nov 2005
AD
