”Duet Amoroso”
Duetto Amoroso

Finland 2002 colour 45min

**½

Musical

cast: Mari Palo (Maria), Pentti Hietanen (Laszlo), Jarmo Mäkinen (Bruno), Juha Laitila (Jorkki), Pertti Koivula (Jesse), Pekka Huotari, Lotta Lehtikari, Katariina Kaitue
credits: dir. (& script) Markku Pölönen, music Verdi etc., DOP Kari Sohlberg

Markku Pölönen has done better films than this. His attempt to put together opera, musical and... stuff is interesting but it moves on too slowly. Tenor Pentti Hietanen and soprano Mari Palo are good but they are opera cast and they have their manners which don’t work well in Pölönen’s hands.

The story tells about beautiful Maria, who moves to evil Bruno’s house and falls in love with the porter Laszlo. They sing lovely duets and evil Bruno’s servants make a slapstick comedy. Odd, occasionally fun and nice to listen but it’s still too long.

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