Pasolini

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2:12

Pasolini

Released May 10, 2019

1h 25m

Biography

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

79%

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57 Reviews

33%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A chronicle of the last days of life of Italian film director and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini, whose body was found on the beaches of Ostia on the morning of Nov. 3, 1975.

Critics Consensus

Pasolini may frustrate viewers seeking a straightforward biopic, but director Abel Ferrara's unconventional approach is well-matched by Willem Dafoe's performance.

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Just as he did with 2018's At Eternity's Gate, in which he embodied the artist Vincent van Gogh, [Willem] Dafoe brilliantly captures the essence and a more-than-reasonable resemblance to the real figures.

Rated: 3/5

Aug 8, 2019

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

It may be only one man's version of what many have speculated about... but in its clear-eyed grittiness, it's also a tribute from a filmmaker for whom the night's temptations were ripe and its dangers legion.

May 30, 2019

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Richard Brody

The New Yorker

Ferrara... straining toward the sublime, stumbles into vulgarity.

May 13, 2019

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Pablo Staricco Cadenazzi

Vague Visages

Pasolini turns out to be a rich yet forgettable chapter in Ferrara’s filmography.

Dec 14, 2023

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D.M. Palmer

Vague Visages

Ferrara’s jumbling of languages in Pasolini offered a way forward, reaching towards a medium in which modes of communication become equivalent...

Nov 9, 2023

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Michael J. Casey

Michael J. Cinema

A frustrating disappointment ... sluggish and slow, as if Ferrara either dreads having to find his way to Ostia Beach-where Pasolini was murdered-or finds pleasure in the foreplay.

Rated: 2.5/5

Feb 18, 2021

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Audience Member

Dafoe is really engrossing and there are some strong scenes here but this doesn't work as a biopic, unfortunately.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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ari v

Didn't come together particularly well for me. Not historically nor artistically.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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dave d

We're chronicling the final days of Pier Paolo Pasolini, the Italian director who is played by an American and who speaks mostly English. Yea you've lost me. This was was on the shelf for quite some time and should have stayed there. We're talking about a fascinating human who was portrayed as someone who wasn't important or interesting. Frustrating and more of an annoyance than anything else. Final Score: 2.1/10

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

I find it to be a weak film. It makes an impression that in theory it was a good idea to make a bio about this genius. But in reality it does not do justice to Pasolini's memory.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

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Audience Member

No Offence, I admire Pasolini and Accatone is definitely a fine film. But for the Pasolini here, I just wish he could be run over sooner as I can't stand Abel Ferrara's stream of consciousness.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

In an ideal world Abel Ferrara and Willem Dafoe would have won more plaudits for there take on the final days of controversial film director Pier Paolo Pasolini. As its stands this is one of Ferraras very best works following Dafoe as Pasolini finishing his most controversial work Salo and trying to get his next feature off the ground. Ferrara takes elements of the uncompleted script and commits them to film while also showing Pasolinis final hours befoe he is brutally murdered. Dafoe is outstanding as Pasolini a figure who was celebrated and hated in equal measure. He looks uncannily like the great director and its a performance which should be more widely seen. The film includes performances from actors who appeared in Paslolinis work and its no surprise that Ferrara feels a genuine kinship for his idol as they are both renegade filmmakers.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

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Abel Ferrara

Director

Willem Dafoe

Pier Paolo Pasolini

Maria de Medeiros

Laura Betti

Riccardo Scamarcio

Ninetto Davoli

Ninetto Davoli

Eduardo de Filippo

Valerio Mastandrea

Nico

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Pasolini: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

A chronicle of the last days of life of Italian film director and writer Pier Paolo Pasolini, whose body was found on the beaches of Ostia on the morning of Nov. 3, 1975.

Director: Abel Ferrara
Producer: Thierry Lounas, Fabio Massimo Cacciatori
Screenwriter: Maurizio Braucci
Distributor: Kino Lorber
Production Co: Capricci Films
Genre: Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 13, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $30.1K
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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