Its Easier for a Camel 2003

     As a little girl, Federica fantasized about three things.  Having beautiful long hair that would grow back as soon as she cut it.  Neverending cones of cotton candy.  Countless adventures that took her to the far side of the world.  Now as a charming thirty-something-single woman, Federica's fantasies have evolved.  She added lovers, stardom and eventual motherhood to her waking dreams.  Federica continues to press for her everyday life to be as real as the fantasies that invade her mind.  Unfortunately, her daydreams can only provide a meager distraction from her reality. Her career as a successful playwright is failing, her boyfriend is pressuring her to start a family before she is ready, a former lover wishes to rekindle an old affair.  Her sister is barely talking to her, her brother is self-centered and her loving father is terminally ill.  To make matters worse, Federica is rich, too rich and the guilt that consumes her gradually is pushing her over the edge??

     The character of Federica is based on Valeria Bruni Tedeschi’s real life experiences as the daughter of a rich family.  The guilt comes from the saying, “For a rich man it is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to go to paradise.”  Federica goes to a priest to confess that she’s guilty of being rich and he quotes the above Gospel passage.  Director Tedeschi was raised as a rich child and she directs herself as a very insecure, timid woman, who lacks confidence in her own abilities.  Her sister Bianca is always on the verge of hysteria but she has plenty of confidence.  Federica is pushing herself over the edge because of the guilt that consumes her and no one else is doing this to her?  There is certainly plenty of comedy, a bit of drama and even a bit of satire in this film.

     This film is not exactly a comedy, a drama or a satire.  It is instead a mix of all three with possibly a half dozen other genres tossed in.  As a result, the real value of this film could be considered to be questionable?  Can it really be appreciated as an approach where absurdity and off-beat behavior are the foundation for an otherwise average story?  3* (This movie is OK)

110 min, Adventure with Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Chiara Mastroianni, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Denis Podalydes, Marisa Borini, Roberto Herlitzka, Lambert Wilson, Pascal Bongard, Niclas Briancon, Yvan Attal, Emmanuelle Devos, Karine Silla, Alma Samel, Utah Samel, Victor Nebbiolo.

Note:  Imdb 5* out of 10* with 834 reviews, Rotten Tomatoes 43% with 14 reviews 28% audience scores with 250+ ratings, Metacritic 53 out of 100 with 8 critic reviews, Letterboxd 3* out of 5*, DVDtalk 4* content, video, audio, 3* extras, replay, recommended.

Special Note:  Valeria is the sister of the wife of the previous leader of France, Nicolas Sarkozy.