Review by Library Journal Review
Fassbinder (The Marriage of Maria Braun) offers one of his most approachable early works with Ali, a stylized May-December romance between a drab, middle-aged cleaning lady (Brigitte Mira) and a handsome Moroccan mechanic (El Hedi ben Salem) many years her junior. Relatives, friends, and others register disapproval for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is race. An avowed admirer of Hollywood melodrama practitioner Sirk, Fassbinder intends Ali (1974) as homage to Heaven (1955), in which a good-looking gardener (Rock Hudson) gets involved with an older, well-to-do widow (Jane Wyman). Society's disapproval of class differences account for much of the prejudice here. Among the many thought-provoking extras is Ali's inclusion of a discussion by Todd Haynes (Safe), whose film Far from Heaven (2002) offers yet another thematic variation. VERDICT Movie aficionados will enjoy comparing the two newly restored films; other viewers-mainly Turner Classic Movie fans-will opt for Sirk's Tinseltown approach.-Jeff T. Dick, Davenport, IA (c) Copyright 2015. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.