DVD : Mozart - Cosi Fan Tutte / Muti, Dessi, Ziegler, Teatro alla Scala |
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Rating:  - * Dont write this one off too quickly!! ... The reviews here seem rather divided but if you read them carefully you will see that everyone pretty much agrees that this is a first rate production with top notch performers. Technical issues seem to have affected some of the viewers in a negative way, but I wasn't distracted in the least. I thought this version was a lot of fun. The production captures the spirit of this provocative masterpiece very nicely. It is convincingly acted and is very entertaining--- from beginning to end. Adelina Scarabelli as Despina is the stand out performer here (as others have noted). She enters the part with all her heart and you might think the role had been written with her in mind. This is the third version of Cosi I have seen and this Despina outshines the competition in this show-stopping role. There may indeed be superior versions of Cosi (like the Gardiner version) but this one has great merits and is certainly well worth experiencing. Rating:  - * Cosi Fan Tutte ... The sets are wonderful, as one expects from La Scala. There is not one weak voice in the cast. You will love Despina. What can I say? Mozart reigns. Rating:  - * Ouch. Ouch. Ouch. ... I have listened to over 600 different opera recordings in my lifetime on video and if I had to choose a video that had the worst sound quality and the worst balance of sound recording between voices and orchestra, this would be the one. This, like many opera dvds, was not a recording produced exclusively for dvd, but rather, a dvd recording re-recorded onto vhs with added menus and special effects. Muti is an excellent conductor and the emotion sparkles in this production but my ears were left straining to hear the notes of Mozart's beautiful opera. Avoid this recording like the plague and don't say that I didn't warn you. If you want a good recording of Cosi Fan Tutti to listen to, (I'm still looking for a good video recording) buy Georg Solti's recording with Michele Pertusi singing bass. You'll love it, I promise! Rating: - * Muti's Cosi ... It's important to realize what we have here. A very sophisticated performance musically, full of vitality, beautiful orchestral playing, and six superb soloists in roles that suit them well. Riccardo Muti is one of the leading Mozart conductors of the day, and his perfectionist and stylish approach, serving the composer totally, is an absolute delight. The production is stylistic, and pretty to look at. The live performance has an electricity which is captivating. 10 out of 10 ! Rating: - * If I could rate it higher, I would. ... This is a rremarkably subtle and accurate version of this difficult work. It is more than rare to see Mozart handled with impeccable taste and an obvious grasp of many of the deeper aspects of plot and score. In addition, this version boasts perfect 18th century style. Sad to see such ignorant reviews of this work. |
It's three movies in one, beginning when punctuality-obsessed Federal Express systems engineer Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) departs on Christmas Eve to escort an ill-fated flight of FedEx packages. Following a mid-Pacific plane crash, movie number two chronicles Chuck's four-year survival on a remote island, totally alone save for a Wilson volleyball (aptly named "Wilson") that becomes Chuck's closest "friend." Movie number three leads up to Chuck's rescue and an awkward encounter with his ex-girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt, in a thankless role), for whom Chuck has seemingly risen from the grave.
It's fascinating to witness Chuck's emerging survival skills, and Hanks's remarkable physical transformation is matched by his finely tuned performance. With slow, rhythmic camera moves and brilliant use of sound, Zemeckis wisely avoids the postcard prettiness of The Black Stallion and The Blue Lagoon to emphasize the harshness of Chuck's ascetic solitude, and this stylistic restraint allows Cast Away to resonate more than one might expect. Even the final scene--which feels like a crowd-pleasing compromise--offers hope without shoving it down our throats. You may not feel the emotional rush that you're meant to feel, but Cast Away remains a respectable effort. --Jeff Shannon
It's three movies in one, beginning when punctuality-obsessed Federal Express systems engineer Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks) departs on Christmas Eve to escort an ill-fated flight of FedEx packages. Following a mid-Pacific plane crash, movie number two chronicles Chuck's four-year survival on a remote island, totally alone save for a Wilson volleyball (aptly named "Wilson") that becomes Chuck's closest "friend." Movie number three leads up to Chuck's rescue and an awkward encounter with his ex-girlfriend Kelly (Helen Hunt, in a thankless role), for whom Chuck has seemingly risen from the grave.
It's fascinating to witness Chuck's emerging survival skills, and Hanks's remarkable physical transformation is matched by his finely tuned performance. With slow, rhythmic camera moves and brilliant use of sound, Zemeckis wisely avoids the postcard prettiness of The Black Stallion and The Blue Lagoon to emphasize the harshness of Chuck's ascetic solitude, and this stylistic restraint allows Cast Away to resonate more than one might expect. Even the final scene--which feels like a crowd-pleasing compromise--offers hope without shoving it down our throats. You may not feel the emotional rush that you're meant to feel, but Cast Away remains a respectable effort. --Jeff Shannon
