Pan32
Somnolent tale of a low voltage heist plot that offers potential for excitement in an unusual twist but sputters to a limp conclusion still born. Rutger Hauer as Maciste. an aged hulk of a washed up body builder/B movie actor who now lives alone in a suitably rundown mansion. Enter Bianca and Tomas, lately orphaned by their parents traffic death, sleepwalking through life until Tomas hooks up with a couple of body builders who move in with the siblings and amazingly turn out to be excellent cooks and housekeepers in contrast to Tomas and his sister. The plot then unfolds (finally) as the guests have a plan to rob Maciste of his money stash with Bianca the interloper who is to locate the goods. But Bianca turns out to have a soft spot in her heart for the old geezer and bails on the deal. The would be thieves then meekly move out without a fuss. The anticipated sexuality never really jells as Maciste is blind and gets his kicks by rubbing down Bianca with oil--all over. Bianca does make herself available to one of the house guests in a strictly physical affair and in a brief moment sizes up her handsome brother as he lies asleep in his jockey shorts One interesting angle are the film clips of a younger Maciste playing the role of Hercules or Samson which Bianca watches and then dreams about as the film attempts to make some kind of psychological connection. What sinks the film is utter detachment all display and even the usual historical monuments of Rome are not enough to make the film worthwhile.
Andres Salama
A surprisingly compelling movie. Two Chilean teenagers living in Rome (Bianca and Tomas) became orphans when their parents die in a car accident. Living now alone in an apartment, they soon drop school and find some jobs to sustain themselves: she in a hair salon, he in a gym. Soon, Tomas brings two dubious friends from the gym to live with them in their apartment. These friends, who seem to easily manipulate Tomas, eventually engage Bianca in a seemingly harebrained plot: she has to seduce a former bodybuilder and sword and sandals star named Maciste (played by the veteran Dutch actor Rutger Hauer), who is blind and lives as a recluse in an old mansion in Rome, so she can find the safe in his house where he presumably keeps his fortune. So the rest of the movie is about how the strange relationship between Bianca and Maciste develops. Only the ending is unsatisfying. Playing Bianca, the pretty, petite Manuela Martelli looks a bit sour and expressionless, but is compelling as she appears about half the running time in the nude along the much older Hauer. Based on a novel by the prestigious Chilean novelist Roberto Bolaño.
in1984
4.5 of 10. Something like a outsider/emo teen film, but in Italy. Lots of style and flair around lots of propaganda, product placement, and a big story hole, possibly admitted to at the end by a guilty director. It's the type of teen/young adult formula story I'm surprised isn't more frequently used in USA films. Apparently we're not as empty as Italy when it comes to film.While the cast does a lot to carry the film, the direction and story is little more than a slice of life film. It makes for an impressive acting exercise for all involved.Given that's it's apparently based on a book, and books usually can't get by purely on words describing hot naked chicks, melodrama, and cigarette smoke, maybe something got left out.
Red-Barracuda
The film opens with the death of two teenager's parents, leaving them to live by themselves. Money is tight for Bianca and Tomas but the arrival of two shady guys from the gym where the latter works changes everything. They put forward a scheme to rob a reclusive actor who was famous in the 60's for playing the character Maciste in peplum movies. Bianca is sent in to seduce him but things don't play out as planned.Il Futuro is a strange film that isn't really story driven at all. The crime angle that underpins the narrative is ultimately not especially important, more a device of linking Bianca to Maciste. What made the film most enjoyable for me was Manuela Martelli who was not only good in the central role but also added a strong sensual dimension to proceedings. She spends a considerable amount of time naked and covered in oil which does ensure that this is a drama that has a definite erotic angle. Rutger Hauer is additionally an interesting presence, even if his character essentially remains somewhat enigmatic.So what does it all mean? Not a huge amount I would venture. The title seems to refer to the fact that the central character's present is poor and the future is all. Bianca uses sex as a means of moving forward but it doesn't work and things end with her and her brother having learnt a few lessons from their experience. I suppose it's a coming-of-age film in some ways. But mainly it works best as a slightly left-field erotic drama; more a slice of life rather than a story.
AD
