Maria Baxa Movies
- 1982
As the horror of World War II is about to descend on Yugoslavia, a young intellectual in Zagreb is struggling with the meaning of life, his life in particular. He has a tendency to fall in love with women who are not likely to stay with one man for long, but his romantic interludes are cut short when the military calls him up for induction into the army. Completely against the whole idea of military service and a possible early death, he feigns insanity and it works -- he is released from serving his stint. Once back in a relationship with one woman, he takes a closer look at the crisis building around him -- and experiences an awakening, spawned, in part, by the suicide of a friend. With the realization that pending disaster is at hand, he turns around to enlist in the army again -- if he can convince them that he is "recovered" from his mental condition. Mira Furlan won "Best Supporting Actress" at the 1982 Pula Film Festival for her role as one of the lovers in this film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi
- Starring:
- Frano Lasic, Ljuba Tadic, (more)
This crime action movie is based on Peter Maas' best-selling book The Valachi Papers. That book, in turn, is based on prison conversations and the actual U.S. Senate testimony of Joseph Valachi, a high-ranking figure in the Mafia. The book, which tells precisely who did what to whom, when and why, electrified the nation. This film had to be made in Italy, because attempts to shoot in the U.S. were stymied by mob-arranged "accidents" and protests. The story is told in flashback as Valachi (Charles Bronson) tells a Federal agent about his activities from 1929 to 1961, when he worked for the Capo of Capos, Vito Genovese (Lino Ventura). Though his tale necessarily takes place in a number of episodes, it never fails to have lots of drama and action. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Charles Bronson, Lino Ventura, (more)
