Mister Universe is the latest feature film directed daTizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, third installment of a trilogy that includes The Pivellina (2009) e The gloss of the day (2012).
Once again the circus, once again a very personal focus on one of the artists who work there. This time, in particular, the two directors have focused on young Tairo, animal lover and extremely pragmatic, apparently with a unique "Achilles heel": a folded piece of iron, in its time, by strongman Arthur Robin, elected Mr Universe in '57. This piece of iron has always been a kind of talisman for Tairo, a lucky charm of great sentimental value. His loss, therefore, will push the boy to travel from Rome to Milan, with various stops, in order to find Arthur Robin and to be specially fold another iron.
And then the magic, as well as the superstitions of all kinds (in particular as regards the character of Wendy, the girl Tairo) become main actors in this new challenge of the pair of filmmakers. What, But, in this operation, most catches the attention is the very singular commissioning adopted scene, which - because of the shape halfway between feature film and documentary - draws in all respects to the shadowing technique proclaimed at the time by Cesare Zavattini. E, in fact, Mister Universe - as well, however, The Pivellina and Der Glanz des Tages - has to first, every appearance of being a documentary full blown, only to become aware of the fact that the subject - without a real script, but with improvised jokes (sometimes, admittedly, so not entirely spontaneous, especially as it regards some secondary characters) non-professional actors in the role of themselves by following a "canvas"- It was previously written at a table by the same authors.
And then there's the circus. The fact that we are representing, who, a world "out of touch", it could even disappear tomorrow helps to give the final product a touch of magic and mystery that goes well with the commissioning extremely realistic scene adopted. It is a circus, the one shown to us by Tizza Covi and Rainer Frimmel, never "spectacular" (except for, perhaps, for the final scene which sees Wendy perform as a contortionist), Fellini never, so how come disturbing or left, like the dear old Robert Wiene and Tod Browning taught us. A circus, But, It is to represent something magical and extremely fragile, ephemeral, almost a fairy-tale in which the protagonists are steeped. And that can only, consequently all fascinate.
Because, in fact, This last work of the pair of filmmakers – perfectly in line with their entire filmography, the rest - has as main purpose the catapult for a little less than two hours in a world of its own - that in fact there is a lot closer than we imagine - making us lose, for a moment, the contact with reality, making us forget, throughout the duration of the feature film, the world around us. And is not this also one of the aims of cinema, however?
marina fears