Dirty Business was intended originally as today's double feature theme. Two movies about dirty methods, and the dark side of human nature. It became Microcosmos after viewing them both. Happens with blind theme giving, I suppose. Let me explain the change.

Both Donatella Botti's A casa nostra and Lionel Bailiu's Fair Play are about egos. As the slowly building Italian drama follows the footsteps of movies like Traffic with interlocking storylines, but most importantly parallel lives, and the French Fair Play rushes in a more rapid and lively pace in the story of pushy (pun IS intended as you will see) work collegues, one thing is common in bot

The latter is basicaly about extreme human selfishness. Played tightly and effectively with just a handful of actors, including Piaf's Marion Cotillard, it tells the tale of a team building trip going extremely wrong, as each individual with interveawing secrets and tricks just elbows up on the pathetic rank ladder. Result is, after a few tossed collegues, broken legs and drownings: four of the five not coming out alive at the end of the gorge they went in for some extreme sports tour. Morbid, amusing and thought provoking at the same time. Not too serious but you will pause for a second at few points I'm sure.

The Italian flick could be ranked a bit lower on the scale I must confess. Again. I don't know, but the Italian selection of this filmfest doesn't cry the names of movie giants Leone, Pasolini or Fellini. There's one last Italian ahead, I hope that will be a salvation after two lackluster tries. Anyway this one's a bit better than In memoria di me, a plus point that Valeria Golino is in it. Amazing that she looks almost the same as in Rain Man, or Hot Shots! part one and part deux to be a bit silly. Here the inner worlds are much more likable but their strong separation is so evident.

Even the bad guys can be understood, if you give them a face. As there are no psycho killers in the story you can even like them. As A casa nostra could be used for empathy training, Fair Play is like an eye opener on self-interest. Two different usage of the motif of ego.

Both flicks have their flaws, some stilted acting in the pushy drama, and lackluster and bit slow pacing in the Italian lifelines presentation. Conclusion could be: less is more, or at least more entertaining. Less characters can receive more focus, and most importantly: accent those traits! Even to the limit of caricature. You can hardly miss with that, while the other way your job will be much harder, and not everyone's a Coppola.

One more week to go, both for the filmfest and the year, so Happy Holidays for everyone, and stay for some extras next week as this special VOD proposal comes to an end.