I Love Italian Everything

Oh God I hated Cosavogliodipiù. I hated Anna, played by Alba Rohrwacher (Io Sono L’amore). I hated her lover Domenico, played by Pierfrancesco Favino (L’Ultimo Bacio). I hated the way they snuck around behind the backs of their family and friends, endlessly checked their cellphones, and neglected everything else in their lives.


When it was over my stomach hurt. Is it a good thing or a bad thing when a movie feels so real that you actually hate the characters? I guess it’s a good thing. Once again, director Silvio Soldini ( Pane e Tulipani) told a really good story.


As movies about people having affairs go this one was less glamorous, the sex less hot, and the lovers less satisfied. At times I found myself wondering what it was about the whole thing that kept Anna and Domenico interested in keeping the thing alive. They were hurting everyone around them, spending money that they didn’t have, lying, and giving us no indication of how they felt their lives would be better if they left their spouses and stayed together, and yet they couldn’t stop.


On second thought, I think I loved Cosavogliodipiù, because this time a movie focused on the problems of infidelity. Instead of trying to make us feel that the poor lovers are unfortunately with the wrong people and somehow deserve these stolen moments, Soldini gives us a self destructive couple that is self destructing – why? Because they were bored in their everyday life?


I don’t know – it’s a good movie but it was no fun to watch. Do I need to be reminded that there are women that would break up a family with no real remorse? Or that there are men who could so easily walk away from their families? Not really, but Soldini deserves credit for showing it the way it really is.


Rent it from Netflix


Here’s the trailer:

Director: Silvio Soldini
Writers: Silvio Soldini, Doriana Leondeff
Stars: Alba Rohrwacher, Pierfrancesco Favino and Teresa Saponangelo