I Love Italian Everything

I got a question from Victoria about finding movies that are easier to follow if Italian is not your first language:

My Italian is ok, I can understand and speak relatively well. But I’m looking for some films that are easy-going, light-hearted, feel-good (romantic comedies for example), just so I can focus on understanding the language, without having to concentrate too much on the plot. Do you have any recommendations.

First of all, thanks for the great question Victoria; we’re in the same boat. My husband likes to brag that his wife is “fluent” but I’m not. I’d describe myself as “proficient” but not “fluent”. I have studied the grammar and I know more about Italian grammar than I do English grammar (sad, because I teach English grammar to immigrants).  Speaking and understanding Italian is still a lot of work for me and may never become effortless.

I started going to Italian movies as a means to improve my Italian and I have a few suggestions for those of you who are like me:

Turn on the Italian subtitles when you are watching a DVD. Most DVDs have the option for Italian subtitles for the hard of hearing even if there are no English ones. This is great for those of us aiming to improve our comprehension and vocabulary.

Shy away from movies with heavy dialect until you are really fluent. They’ll just confuse you. Don’t forget, even Italians needed subtitles for a movie like Nuovomondo (The Golden Door) with its old-fashioned Sicilian dialect.

Modern stories are better than historical ones. Again, you’ll have enough of a challenge with the way people talk now; don’t get even more confused with people talking like they did 100 years ago.

Choose movies with more action. When I watch a movie that is extra-heavy on the dialogue I rely extra heavily on the Italian subtitles. Movies like Sorrentino’s “Il Divo” and Martone’s “Noi Credevamo” would have been impossible without them.

If you get RAI Italia, the Italian Language Channel Digital TV there’s plenty on TV like cooking shows and soap operas that are easy for a beginner.

As far as light-hearted and romantic comedies, try to get your hands on the guys who are no stranger to slapstick and funny even with the sound turned off, Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo and their La Banda Dei Babbi Natale and Tu La Conosci Claudia.

La Banda Dei Babbi Natale (The Santa Claus Gang) is the story of three guys who spend Christmas eve at police headquarters trying to convince a detective (Angela Finocchiaro) that they are not a gang of thieves that dress up like Santa Claus.

Tu La Conosci Claudia (Do You Know Claudia) is about (the same) three guys who share a love for Claudia, played by the adorable Paola Cortellesi.

In Dillo Con Parole Miei  14-year-old Megghy getting a big crush on Aunt Stefania’s ex-boyfriend (Giampaolo Morelli from L’uomo Perfetto ) and neither of them realizing it’s the same guy.

L’uomo Perfetto (The Perfect Man) is one of my favorite romantic comedies. When a girl’s best friend steals one boyfriend too many, she schemes to distract her with “the perfect man” (Riccardo Scamarcio).

If La Doppia Ora (The Double Hour) is hard to follow, don’t worry, it’s hard for everyone and it’s by design. The Double Hour is a thriller with lots of twists and turns centering around a security guard who meets a hotel maid speed dating.

Kryptonite Nella Borsa (Kryptonite!) is a bittersweet comedy with a cool soundtrack about a little kid growing up in the 70s. His family’s in turmoil so thank goodness he has his own personal super-hero.

Magnifica Presenza (magnificent Presence) is Ferzan Ozpetek’s comedy about an aspiring actor who finds out he shares his house with the ghosts of glamorous actors from the ’40s.

Remember, you can’t play a lot of these movies on American DVD players, but if you love Italian movies, a European or region free DVD player is a small but worthwhile investment. Take a look at these other suggestions for watching DVDs from other countries effortlessly.