Che casino questi giovani! Ma al fondo c'e' una speranza.
Il film racconta con estremo realismo in tutta la prima parte (e oltre) l'incredibile confusione mentale a cui e' pervenuta la societa' moderna, libera finalmente dai tabu' sessuali e dal giogo delle proibizioni, ma esposta molto piu' di prima alla impreparazione nella vita di relazione.
Soprattutto per la vita di coppia e' inevitabile il sapersi adeguare alle situazioni di compromesso, se non proprio di rinuncia, se si vuole pervenire ad una esistenza che, pur nella ricerca della felicita' completa, possa dare almeno un buon grado di serenita'.
Fino al punto (nel film) in cui lei (la ragazza incinta) acconsente a restare ugualmente con lui anche se lui l'ha tradita, il film e' una sequela persino esagerata di situazioni negative, dove tutti, dai giovani alle coppie mature, sono delusi, stressati, angosciati e desiderosi di iniziare un capitolo nuovo della propria vita.
L'esagerazione appare persino evidente nell'assegnazione del ruolo di moglie insoddisfatta e "schizzata" a Stefania Sandrelli che, sia pure nella sua innegabile bravura di attrice, nel ruolo e' assolutamente fuori posto. Cosi' come le parole che il regista fa dire al marito di lei in quella fase del film; parole che uno psichiatra (il mestiere di lui) non potrebbe mai dire a nessuno, tantomeno alla moglie.
La Sandrelli e' invece perfettamente nel suo ruolo verso la fine del film quando (la protagonista che lei interpreta) accortasi che non e' nella liberta' di andarsene e nel tradire che puo' trovare la serenita' interiore, assume il ruolo decisamente piu' congeniale per lei di donna non solo bella, ma anche comprensiva, amorevole e saggia.
Anche nella scena finale del film il regista rilascia un messaggio esplicito facendo vedere la giovane protagonista del film che corre da sola in un parco, avvicinata da uno che vorrebbe corteggiarla. Qui Muccino trae lo spunto per mostrare lei che non si ferma; continua a correre con un sorrisetto sulle labbra lasciando intendere: "Lo so, potrei farlo e probabilmente mi piacerebbe anche, ma so anche cosa potrebbe succedere. Davvero dovrei rischiare la mia felicita' per una avventuretta che puo' finire in disastro gia' il giorno dopo?".
Ecco, in conclusione mi sento di dire che questo e' un film bello e utile; ma solo se lo si interpreta nel modo giusto. Non si puo' prendere come assolutamente probabile il finale positivo del film. Ci sono nel film innumerevoli situazioni che nella realta' spesso si concludono in tragedia. Vedere il film senza coglierne il vero significato potrebbe dare un messaggio addirittura negativo a chi lo vede.
Il regista dunque ha scelto quel finale perche' era l'unico che gli consentisse di concludere con un messaggio di speranza e di avvertimento insieme: non basta la liberta' a garantire la felicita' anzi, la liberta' se non e' moderata e gestita in modo intelligente e responsabile puo' condurre al caos e alla infelicita'.
La felicita', come ogni onesta ricchezza di questo mondo, bisogna sapersela costruire giorno per giorno, anche con sacrificio.
Come ultima evidenza critica direi che bisogna comunque tener conto che, pur essendo le situazioni narrate nel film abbastanza frequenti nella realta' della societa' italiana, sarebbe un luogo davvero comune generalizzarle. Ci sono ancora oggi in Italia un sacco di giovani e di famiglie (la chiamerei una maggioranza silenziosa) che vivono le proprie esperienze sentimentali e sessuali in modo del tutto piu' equilibrato, tradizionale e responsabile.
Roberto Marchesi
Humor and Heartbreak
This film doesn't offer an answer to a relationship's greatest challenge--fidelity. Instead, it challenges perceptions about what makes for lasting love and what to expect from a long-term relationship and/or marriage. While dealing with slightly predictable patterns and relationships (ignoring same-sex or unorthodox relationships outside traditional marriage) the stories are compelling and the characters sufficiently believable. One could argue that it has a decidedly male point of view, but the ending was a cheeky way to remind the guys watching that women can wander too.
"To give sense to life you have to escape, change"
This wonderful Italian movie is about relationships, from the point of view of four men in their early thirties who have them, but don't fully understand what a good relationship is about. There are lots of stories, but one theme: love, betrayal, and the growing pains of men who refuse to grow up. One of them, Paolo (Claudio Santamaria), sums up quite well the feeling of the four friends: "To give sense to life," he says, "you have to escape, change".
The main couple is that formed by Carlo (Stefano Acorsi) and Giulia (Giovanna Mezzogiorno), a young couple that has been living together for a long while and that seem to be doing very well together until the moment in which Giulia tells Carlo that she is pregnant. The direct result is that Carlo feels trapped and has a mid-life crisis, and ends up having an affair with a beautiful high-school student (Martina Stella). Actions have reactions, though, and everything will change for him, Giulia, and the lives of those around them. That includes Giulia's parents, whose marriage goes through a strong crisis at the same time Giulia discovers what Carlo did.
Gabriele Muccino's "The last kiss" ("L'ultimo bacio") will allow you to enjoy interlinked stories that deal with subjects very pertinent to today's society, the temptations it presents, and most people's refusal to grow up. You will watch the development of many stories, but Carlo and Giulia's is the main one around which all the others revolve. All of them give us an useful lesson: how many ways we may find to sabotage our own relationships. In most cases, it is up to us whether we destroy one, or take care of it. I guess that, in the last instance, we should decide what we really want and act accordingly.
All in all, I can say that I highly enjoyed this film. It is interesting and witty, and it isn't overly pessimistic despite its subject. I think that you will love it, if you like intelligent movies that also happen to be entertaining and sharp, and that have a somewhat ironic ending. If that is the case, I strongly recommend "The last kiss" to you.
The beautiful and wonderfully named Giovanna Mezzogiorno joins the list of soulful Italian actresses with Facing Windows, a pleasant cinematic fancy. Her character is a married Mom in an ordinary apartment, whose life is affected by two things: her fascination with the handsome man who lives across the courtyard, and the sudden arrival in her home of an elderly amnesiac (played by the late Massimo Girotti)--a well-dressed man found walking on the street, dazed and lost. Turkish-born director Ferzan Ozpetek (Steam: The Turkish Bath) makes this simultaneously a slice of life and a vaguely fantastical situation. It probably all works out a little too neatly, but the unhurried pace and deep sympathy Ozpetek displays toward his main characters is refreshing. And when in doubt,... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Giovanna Mezzogiorno - Massimo Girotti - Raoul Bova Director(s): Ferzan Ozpetek DVD Release Date: Released the 02 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Italy's magical fantasy of midlife crisis and rebirth in Venice, the city of lovers, swept the Italian film awards and charmed all of Europe. Director Silvio Soldini turns the tourist mecca of piazzas, canals, and stone bridges into a quaint little village out of time and fills the film with the charm of the city and the gentle quirks of his delightful cast. Licia Maglietta is winning as Rosalba, the frustrated and ignored middle-aged mom who impulsively takes a vacation from her family. She hitchhikes to Venice and falls for lonely, suicidal Icelandic waiter-poet Bruno Ganz (whose soulful, sad eyes recall his fallen angel from Wings of Desire), blossoming as she rediscovers her smile and joy for life. Sweetly sexy and beautifully shot, this story of second chances may not be... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Licia Maglietta - Bruno Ganz Director(s): Silvio Soldini DVD Release Date: Released the 26 March 2002 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I enjoyed Ciao, Professore! very much. It was poignant, charming, and humorous. Coming from an Italian background, I have recommended it to family and friends, especially Italians! More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Paolo Villaggio - Isa Danieli Director(s): Lina Wertmüller DVD Release Date: Released the 13 January 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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... and as such an acceptable entertainment, but the after-taste is missing. The story tries to depict a normal family of four, living each its own separate life and pursuing their own individual dreams. The tension between their own routines and realities and what they would like to be makes them explode, one by one, and hit the wall, to come back again to reality and family unity at the end.
Some sort of fairy tale, actors and scenography are very good, emotions are openly ventilated - as in any good italian movie worth its name -, and a lot of scenes have real credibility.
But when the film is over, without the emotions, the scenography, the great looks of Valentina and the uncertain end of each of the four little stories, very little is left, and the whole... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Gabriele Muccino DVD Release Date: Released the 22 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I have heard some critics expressed the view that I'm Not Scared (2003) is mainly about the innocence of youth, which I cannot and will not accept. Any individual's character is innate and pre-determined at conception which cannot be altered, an observation which can be and should be tested experimentally in the laboratory. Hence, the innocence referred to here is of the good-natured kind regardless of age, not one of childhood or youth.
One thing I would like to mention first is the brilliant use of the camera throughout, which adds insights and cues for the viewer to provide direction of the underlying currents and their meanings, besides attention. Such thoughtfulness brings light to the possibility of cinematography as an instrument of tremendous power to influence... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Aitana Sánchez-Gijón - Dino Abbrescia - Giorgio Careccia Director(s): Gabriele Salvatores DVD Release Date: Released the 19 October 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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