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THE
VIRGO, THE TAURUS
AND THE CAPRICORN
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5
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5 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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Guest
Review by Troy
Howarth |
Frustrated
by a doofus husband (Alberto Lionello) who'd rather screw around
with other women than sleep with her, a wife (Edwige Fenech)
decides to start fooling around herself...
Ah,
the Italian sex comedy. In the hands of a master like Vittorio
De Sica or Mario Bava, the end results can be charming; just
think of the likes of Marriage Italian
Style or Four Times That Night.
In the wrong hands, however, it can become the cinematic equivalent
of a deadly weapon — a crashing bore loaded with 'cute' antics
and scene after predictable scene of misunderstanding leading
to catastrophe. Where does The Virgo,
the Taurus and the Capricorn fit into this scheme? Well,
let us just say that director Luciano Martino is no De Sica
or Bava...
The story is pretty
standard stuff, not necessarily a fatal flaw in and of itself,
but one that prevents the film from pulling any surprises over
on the viewer. The predictability factor would be forgivable,
though, if the film made up for it with plenty of sparkling
wit. Alas, as a comedy, Virgo is
as funny as a colonoscopy. The cast mugs and tries their damnedest
to be funny, but it's all to no avail. The situations are trite
and predictable, and the jokes fall flat on their face. It's
hard to believe that a comedy with so many would-be humorous
moments could be this unfunny, yet somehow it manages to be
just that; it's almost kind of impressive, in a perverse sort
of way.
Fortunately, all is
not bleak — especially for fans of luscious leading lady Edwige
Fenech. The one-time "Queen of the Gialli" was knee deep in
a string of lascivious comedy vehicles during this time frame,
and luckily for her fans she had no misgivings about doffing
her clothes in the process. It is this, and this alone, that
redeems Virgo from the brink of
being completely unwatchable. Our first glimpse of Fenech shows
her stark naked as she lies down for a rubdown, and when she
isn't covered up in a series of stylish gowns or swimsuits designed
to show off her cleavage and curves, she spends the rest of
the film in various states of undress. The stunning brunette
is at her most photogenic — it probably helps that director
Martino, the brother of the far more talented Sergio (who directed
Fenech in such signature films as The
Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh and Your
Vice is a Locked Door and Only I Have the Key), was the
starlet's paramour during this time and was therefore in a particularly
appreciative state of mind — and she also does her best to breathe
a little vitality into the stale material. Fenech is a rare
actress who combines impeccable looks with genuine thesping
talent, and if this film is beneath her abilities as an actress,
at the very least it provides her with an almost fetishistic
showcase for her natural beauty.
Beyond Fenech, however,
one would be hard pressed to find much to defend here. A couple
of eye-catching starlets get in on the action, it's true, but
much of the supporting cast is typified by the irritating mugging
of Alberto Lionello, who tries way too hard to get a steady
stream of laughs as Fenech's idiotic husband. Franco Pisano
contributes a score that's pure piano tinkling 'funny' in its
stylings, and Martino's direction seldom rises above locking
the camera down for another static setup... unless he takes
the opportunity to caress his lover's body in loving detail,
much to the relief of the reviewer in question.
Long story short:
if you're a fan of Edwige Fenech, The
Virgo, the Taurus and the Capricorn — the title, incidentally,
refers to the astrological signs for the characters played by
Fenech, Lionello and guest star Ray Lovelock (The
Living Dead at Manchester Morgue), who shows up as one of
Fenech's conquests — is worth a look. Just don't expect a particularly
funny or involving movie beyond that.
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| Mya
Communications continues their trend of issuing obscure Italian
cinema to R1 DVD, issuing Virgo for
the first time on DVD in the U.S. The source materials are in
very good shape. Colors are accurately rendered, detail is sharp,
and print imperfections are minimal and limited to minor speckling
and the like. There are no authoring defects to report. Audio
options include both the English and Italian tracks —
regrettably, however, Mya haven't included English subtitles for
the latter option, forcing monolingual viewers, such as myself,
to watch it in its goofy English dub. In addition to the rather
pitiful vocal performances, this track also suffers from being
rather soft, thereby obliging viewers to crank up the volume in
order to understand all the dialogue. Extras are limited to a
theatrical trailer, which is also given the unusual option of
being viewed with either an English or Italian soundtrack. 1/18/09 |
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