Ricardo Cavolo

While Ricardo Cavolo titled this book 101 Movies to Watch Before You Die I did not take this to be him trying to argue these are the best 101 movies in some objective way. These are the 101 most influential movies to him and he wants to share them with everyone else. With that in mind I was able to avoid the annoying mistake so often made of complaining about what was included or excluded from the list.

Because these films hold some special place in Cavolo's heart the short write-up for each one focuses on what the film did/does for him and how it might also do the same for others. This isn't about complete cast lists or detailed analysis (though I found some of the personal commentary to be quite insightful well beyond the personal level) but more like a friend telling another friend about some movies that moved him and might do the same for the friend.

He made me want to re-watch some of the films and there were 17 films I have not (yet) seen that I will likely make a point of watching. Some of my favorites are here and, as expected, some of my favorites are not. One fun aspect was the way these films reminded me of others. For instance, in his blurb about The Party (1968) he mentions Peter Sellers, which made me remember Dr Strangelove, which is not on his list. There were many such instances so even the films not mentioned were often brought to mind.

I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys lists of films and particularly those who like to hear about why a given film is important to someone. Maybe a new genre: graphic cinematic memoirs. Okay, maybe not, but the personal element coupled with the list of movies makes this a fun read and a great suggestion guide for what to watch next.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via Edelweiss.… (altro)