Finally, a movie that checks plenty of boxes on the modern “it” list yet does it so refreshingly and originally that it blows most maudlin WWII dramas, action flicks, and superhero fare out of the water.
Do Americans even make movies like this anymore? Because the dumbed-down fare seems to rule the day on the silver screen lately. Just how dumbed down is it becoming? Well, the powers that be felt a strong need to replace a perfectly good title “Freaks Out” with a more descriptive one “Freaks vs. the Reich” just so people would know who fights whom, presumably. Because otherwise how would anyone possibly figure it out? Also, gorgeous as this movie is, it was made on only $12 million euros, a fraction of what similar movies cost these days. “Freaks Out” is a mad, wild adventure of four circus performers across the Nazi-invaded Italy. They lose their tent, then they lose their fearless leader, Israel, who gets caught trying to get everyone papers to leave. Now the prodigiously and unusually gifted quartet has to decide what to do. Fu, a superstrong, superhairy gentleman, wants to join a Nazi circus, led by a rather spectacular villain named Franz. Cencio, the albino, and Mario, the magnetic, shockingly well-hung dwarf, join him, while Matilde, the electric girl, sets off to find Israel, encountering a gang of crippled, kickass partisans on her way. Eventually, all four freaks end up at Franz’ circus, subjects to horrific experiments. Franz is determined to build an army of superpowered freaks as a gift for his Fuhrer, having failed to become a proper Nazi soldier on account of having two fingers too many. Now, Franz is a wild madman who gets high and sees the future and plays piano gorgeously and has a crazy mission that drives his every step and every cruelty, against himself and others. Ultimately, everything’s building up for a grand finale showdown between the freaks and, you guessed it, the Reich, and when it comes, it doesn’t disappoint. What this movie gets right and what sets it apart from similar fare, is that despite the awesomely done special effects, it’s a very humane story of friendship, love, family, being different and making the most of it. This is a story of triumphing against the impossible odds … and appropriately enough, it is a triumph. A lot of it is because instead of being preachy, the makers chose (wisely) to just have fun with it. It’s by turns playful, wild, raunchy, violent, over-the-top, inventive, moving, and spectacular to look at. Like a proper circus performance, really. Coming in at 141 minutes, it doesn’t feel long and entertains wildly the entire way through. Recommended.
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