W E D N E S D AY, A P R I L 2 6 , 2 0 0 6Surfing Through "The Death Of Mr.</p><p> Lazarescu"Here are my initial thoughts on "The Death Of Mr.</p><p> Lazarescu" when Isaw it at Cannes last year.</p><p> It opens today at Film Forum.*** -- A tiring but rewarding Italian film about an old man who falls illand gets shuttled about the health care system during one long,depressing night.</p><p> It’s two hours and forty minutes in length, but thefilm covers about seven or eight hours of action and might as well havebeen shot in real time, since it truly exhausts its audience.</p><p> Some werebored but I was into it every step of the way.</p><p> Mr.</p><p> Lazarescu is anintriguing old man, with somewhat helpful neighbors.</p><p> But as his illnessworsens and worsens, the weight of the film moves from Mr.</p><p> Lazarescu(who becomes almost catatonic) to the ambulance medic who findsherself saddled with this man that no hospital in town wants to admit.Sad, funny and ultimately humane, with sheer determination the medicdoes what she can for Lazarescu which makes this black comedy rathettouching -- especially since the movie avoids sentiment every step ofthe way.</p><p> But nothing could equal the amusing drama off screen,however.</p><p> The movie was shown in the Bunuel, which has steps leadingup to a short stage in front of the screen.</p><p> In the dark, it’s easy to findyourself walking across the stage instead of down lower in front of thefirst row of seats.</p><p> Just as the film began, a man stumbled onto stage,realized where he was, panicked and – in his rush – fell over his ownfeet and collapsed with a tremendous thump onto the ground.</p><p> Hepaused for a moment and -- in the vain hope that no one had noticed --he began to CRAWL offstage until people started laughing and he gaveup and scurried off in bent-over embarrassment.POSTED BY MICHAEL IN NEW YORK AT 6:22 PM 4 C O M M E N T S :Anonymous said...This post has been removed by a blog administrator.5:10 PM Anonymous said...This post has been removed by a blog administrator.Next Blog»sal1mineo@hotmail.comSEARCH BLOG FLAG BLOGFOLLOW BLOGP O P S U R F I N G .</p><p> C O MS U R F I N G T H E WAV E S O F P O P U L A R C U LT U R EB Y M I C H A E L G I LT Z & F R I E N D SPOPSURFING.COM: Surfing Through "The Death Of Mr.</p><p> Laza...http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/surfing-through-death-... 1 of 37/29/09 1:29 AMFAV O R I T E L I N K SAmericablogFive O'Clock Lightning baseball blogDeep Pop -- Lori Lakin's BlogThe Back Page -- Jason Page on ESPNRadioCine-Blog -- George Robinson's BlogDocuments On Art & Cinema - DarylChin's BlogBrucie G's Wondrous Blog OfAdventure and Mystery -- BruceGreenspan's BlogB L O G A R C H I V E▼ 2009 (17)▼ July (3)1939 -- The Greatest Year ForMoviesSwimming Bans Those Hi-TechSuits!Best Movies Of The Year -- TheMaster List► June (3)► May (1)► March (2)► February (1)► January (7)► 2008 (86)► 2007 (781)► 2006 (2412)► 2005 (5)C O N T R I B U TO R SMichael in New YorkAaronBiboy POPSURFING.COM: Surfing Through "The Death Of Mr.</p><p> Laza...http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/surfing-through-death-... 2 of 37/29/09 1:29 AMPOPSURFING.COM: Surfing Through "The Death Of Mr.</p><p> Laza...http://popsurfing.blogspot.com/2006/04/surfing-through-death-... 3 of 37/29/09 1:29 AM
