Did you know that over 50% of Italian movies have the word “Amore” in the title?
No, that’s an exaggeration, but it’s obvious, the disproportionate use of the word love and in movie subjects. Love is a serious thing in Italy, and last year at Open Roads: New Italian Cinema when I asked Luca Marinelli why there weren’t more romantic comedies like his Tutti i Santi Giorni, he said that it’s because love is not to be trivialized.
Touché. Hollywood has been known to trivialize love once and again.
So get ready for some serious passion and enjoy the Italian romance:
Riccardo Scamarcio and French star Clara Ponsot are hot, hot, hot in this story of the young anarchists who fall in love at the Genoa G8 Summit.
Dieci Inverni (Ten Winters)
Isabella Ragonese and Michele Riondino play a couple who weather ups and downs through 10 winters. We don’t know what they are up to, exactly, the rest of the year, but watch their relationship change and grow over time.
La Finestra Di Fronte (Facing Windows)
Starring Raoul Bova and Giovanna Mezzogiorno, this very emotional love story from Ferzan Ozpetek has one of my favorite movie scenes. Watch for Giovanna running down the stairs and just see if it doesn’t take your breath away a little.
Il Giorno in Più (The Extra Day)
This one didn’t do well in Italy and I am at a loss as to why. I think it would have done well in the US, and if you can get your hands on a copy you might enjoy the story of the guy who sees the girl on the bus every morning and decides he just has to know her. Stars: Stars: Fabio Volo and Isabella Ragonese
Nessuno Mi Puo Giudicare (Escort in Love)
Paula Cortellesi and Raoul Bova make a very hot, attractive couple in this story of a rich girl who is down on her luck and chooses the world’s oldest profession to get back on her feet.
Pane e Tulipani (Bread and Tulips)
You all know how I feel about Pane e Tulipani; right? It’s my favorite movie. Period. It’s a constant inspiration to find the life you are meant to live and then go live it.
La Tigre e La Neve (The Tiger and the Snow)
This one from Roberto Benigni didn’t get as much attention as La Vita è Bella, but it’s a very romantic story of a man who will go to the ends of the earth (literally), for the woman he loves, risk his life, and do everything in his power to save her life.
Tutti i Santi Giorni – Every Blessed Day
Director Paolo Virzì gives us this very sweet and authentic lovers’ tale starring Luca Marinelli about an odd couple that somehow works because, though he’s a serious nerd and she’s an eccentric musician, sometimes love is really all you need.
L’Uomo Perfetto (The Perfect Man)
My personal favorite Italian rom-com, Riccardo Scamarcio is the perfect man, at least a scheming woman tries to make him one. When Lucia’s best friend gets engaged to the only man Lucia has ever loved, she comes with an evil plan to put a stop to it.
Il Comandante e la Cicogna (Garibaldi’s Lovers) If you like a more quirky love story, this Silvio Soldini might just be what you are looking for. This kooky story as a sort of love triangle between a single dad, his dead wife, and a starving artist. Stars: Stars: Valerio Mastandrea, Alba Rohrwacher, and Claudia Gerini.
I Love Italian Everything 