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Sunday, January 4, 2015

From Low Lives to High Fashion

We go back to Uruguay for the comic tale of an aging nebbish and his hunt for a Nazi war criminal.  Yes it is a comedy and a good one.  Submitted for our Best Foreign Language Oscar it could prove to be quite a crowd pleaser.   Jacob Kaplan views himself as a loser,  Wilson Contreras views himself as a loser.  There doesn't seem to be anyone the contradict their opinions.  They set out together to make something of their lives only to discover all is not as it seems.
Do not confuse this film with the bio-pic "Yves St. Laurent;"  This is an impressionistic exploration of the culture and cult of haute couture in the swinging 70s.  It is was all sex, drugs and rock'n'roll.  There are quite explicit scenes from this now legendary demimonde and the excellent cast illustrate the high stakes, low lives and pitfalls of over-excess brilliantly.  It is a bit overlong [2.5 hours] and it plays loosely with time but it is colorful, fast-paced and sensational.
  

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