Federico Fellini's 8½

Fellini's 1963 masterpiece stars Marcello Mastroianni as a harried director who simultaneously tries to direct a new film and put his life in order, constantly intermingling the two, and successfully managing neither until the two strands are eventually brilliantly tied together. Told through a series of dreamlike reveries and reminiscences that--as in real life--are often prompted by the most bizarre connections, Guido's (Mastroianni) self-analytic quest is a cineaste's treat, filled with then innovative techniques that continue to influence world cinema today. An Oscar winner for Best Foreign Film, 8½ has been lovingly restored by the Criterion folk in this excellent double-disc release that includes an introduction by filmmaker Terry Gilliam (Brazil), screen specific audio commentary, a so-so 52-minute documentary called "Fellini: A Director's Notebook" (made when Fellini was shooting Fellini's Satyricon), a fine 48-minute documentary on composer Nino Rota, a photo gallery, and interviews with, among others, director Lina Wertmüller. Vacillating--much like Fellini himself--between slyly naughty and wildly exuberant, 8½ is a cinematic landmark that remains fresh nearly forty years later. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (R. Pitman)