![]() On the advice of a well-meaning friend, bored Indian housewife Archana (Radhika Apte) goes Clean Shaven for her uptight husband. It is a sad indictment of Hollywood that omnibus storytelling is where to find compelling female protagonists. Madly’’s three standouts are about women. While the impending event and its aftermath are clear, other storytelling elements are not, due to Bernal’s arthouse overkill (origami paper cranes, a panoramic restaurant window looking onto “the real world”, the camera lingering on the monitor screen showing the foetus). The Argentinian couple’s boredom is infectious. Gael García Bernal ’s Love of My Life is the most disappointing segment, about an older man (Pablo Seijo) and younger woman (Justina Bustos) who are expecting a baby. ![]() His first night on the streets juxtaposes Christmas with a hellish homeless shelter. New York City street performer Rio (Lex Santos)’s parents throw him out when he comes out. Sion Sono’s Love of Love chronicles a Japanese family’s bonding at a sex club Sebastián Silva’s Dance Dance Dance is its Dickensian opposite. Five of the seqments are cohesive – particularly the two that are over-the-top. The only cinematic theme Madly’s six films share is a crash heard when a character is in crisis. Madly is a new anthology film consisting of 15-minute vignettes about the love relationships do or do not inspire. The concept worked for Mario Bava’s Black Sabbath, Maugham’s Quartet of short stories, and sex romps such as Le Ronde. They don’t come around often, but anthology films can be very rewarding.
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