FARINELLI (IL CASTRATO) - * 1/2 - Stefano Dionisi, Enrico Lo Verso, Elsa Zylberstein, Jeroen Krabbe; in French and Italian, with English subtitles; rated R (violence, sex, nudity, profanity); exclusively at the Tower Theater.
Based on a true story, "Farinelli" is at its best in demonstrating that the title character was the Sinatra or Elvis of 18th-century Europe . . . or perhaps Michael Jackson is a better comparison.
"Farinelli," the stage name for Carlo Broschi (Stefano Dionisi), was a star performer mobbed by women who threw themselves at him, despite his rather obvious disability. To maintain his extraordinary soprano singing voice, Carlo Broschi was castrated at age 10.
So, years later when he achieves stardom, Farinelli's impossible voice captivates audiences with high-high notes and long staying power, as women in the audience faint and scream and generally become weak-kneed in his presence. They then offer him sexual favors, which he is unable to complete.
The psychological pain of his childhood experience encompasses Carlos' life even more than his musical career, and the movie is as much about his coming to terms with this trauma - or rather, his not coming to terms with it - as it is his stage career.
But it's also a Cain-and-Abel tale, as it covers the rivalry of Carlos and his brother Riccardo (Enrico Lo Verso). There's a bit of "Amadeus" in this element of the story, as Riccardo is a second-rate composer who provides Carlos with the music he performs on stage and who then completes the sexual conquests that follow most concerts.
Carlos feels something is lacking in the music he performs, but their father always sold them as a package deal, so he feels a loyalty to his brother that he cannot actually define. Yet, his desire to sing better music is fueled early in the film by a meeting with George Frederick Handel (Jeroen Krabbe), who offers him a position in London. Since that position excludes Riccardo, however, the meeting ends unhappily.
But it sets the stage for the film's final act, when Farinelli and Handel become rivals in London and the music takes center stage at last. Meanwhile, Carlos falls in love for the first time and excludes his brother from the relationship.
This final third or so of the film puts aside director Gerard Cor-biau's histrionics, shock elements and his odd penchant for re-creating Carlos' nightmares and instead delves more into the story, as the rivalry between Handel and Farinelli heats up. This makes for a much more satisfying film than what has gone before, as the first two-thirds seem jumbled and underdeveloped. It may be too little too late, however, as there remain far too many unanswered questions by the picture's end.
Another problem throughout the film is that there are no sympathetic characters, with everyone on screen being portrayed as vindictive, cruel or simply unpleasant. Even victimized Carlos comes off as such a jerk that audience sympathy for him wanes rather early on.
"Farinelli" is rated R for violence, graphic sex, nudity and profanity.