Dillo Con Parole Mie – Ginger and Cinnamon

The movie Dillo Con Parole Mie,which means “Say it with my words” but was released in the US as “Ginger and Cinnamon”, is a coming of age movie. I usually hate coming of age movies, but this one is different. In most coming of age movies (and I have to stop saying, “coming of age movies” because even the phrase sounds lame), the characters grow a little and “acting their age” means developing maturity. In this movie, it means just the opposite – these characters need to remember their youth and stop acting older than they really are. Stefania (played by Stefania Montorsi) needs to stop acting like an old woman, and Megghy ( Marina Merlino ), who’s only 14, needs to stop obsessing about her virginity. Megghy, who has always been been told that she is seems older than she is, uses it as an insult when she tries to get her aunt to stop being so “anal”. “You’re the one who seems older than she really is”, she tells her aunt.

There’s a silly plot about Megghy getting a big crush on Stefania’s ex-boyfriend ( Giampaolo Morelli from L’uomo Perfetto ) and neither of them realizing it’s the same person, and OK, that’s not exactly realism, but neither is the big romantic song and dance number at the end of the movie. That’s what I like about it.

Not every movie has to teach me a lesson but if I’m expected to enjoy it I have to believe something about the characters. Every movie, no matter how whimsical or fantastic has to have something that rings true and this one does. Maybe it’s a stretch, everything that happened to Megghy and Stefania (on a Greek Island, nonetheless), but the relationship between the girl and her aunt seems real.

Stephania to Megghy:

Vedi ci sono due categorie di donne: quelle che si fidanzano, ma si scelgono gli uomini sbagliati… e quella sarei io, e quelle che non si fidanzano perché si scelgono gli uomini impossibili… e quella saresti tu…

There are two categories of women, those that have boyfriends and choose the wrong men, and that would be me – and those that don’t have boyfriends because they choose men that they can’t get…that would be you.

Haven’t you seen enough movies with women being just plain bitchy to each other, or adults and teenagers being at war? This is the story of two girls who learn how to be honest with themselves by being honest with each other and anything more ( teen angst or single woman drama ) would have ruined the movie.

Rent it from Netfix
2003 – Director: Daniele Luchetti
Writers: Ivan Cotroneo, Daniele Luchetti, and 2 more credits »
Stars: Stefania Montorsi, Giampaolo Morelli and Martina Merlino