This film is a truly beautiful, touching, and real piece of art. It is the most real depiction of life ever filmed. The film follows the lives of Joe (Colin Firth) and his daughters as they deal with the death his wife. Spending a year in Italy, the family is shown continuing their day to day lives as each character evolves and deals with their loss. One daughter becomes independent and rebellious while the other is lovingly haunted by the ghost of her mother. Joe does all that he can to just get through every day and give his daughters what they need. It is beautiful and touching. If you're looking for a lot of plot or action then this film is probably not for you. But if you want to be moved by inspired acting and the touching reality of life then you will not be disappointed. Summer in Genoa
3.5 stars
Colin Firth can act his way out of a paper bag. Kathleen Keener, one of those actresses that gives any film a feeling of reality is superb in this film. That said, this could be one of the more symbolic films I have seen. It is an OK film, but not a great one. Heavy on drama and darkness and grief.
A family has lost their mother in a car accident. The youngest daughter thinks she is to blame for the accident. The older daughter feels her life is out of control and not what she wants. Dad, is a college professor. He has a contact in Genova, an old college friend, who tells him of a job. Italy may just be the place to chase their demons away. The city is indeed beautiful, and we see quite a lot of it. the back streets and channels as the girls walk their way to piano lessons each day. Life moves on slowly, the older daughter is exploring her sexuality and acting out. The younger child is left to deal with the daily life. The city and the back alleys and the maze of streets are a metaphor for the inner turmoil of each of the members of the family. It is a beautiful film, a quiet film that does not say much but brings to the surface the emotions that surround the family. These emotions are transported to the audience, and we are in a sense filled with anxiety waiting for the next move. The film was not what I expected, and it is not a great film, but well worth viewing.
Recommended. prisrob 04-16-11
The King's Speech
The Real Blonde
Have you ever done something so terrible that it ruined your life? After a game in the car causes an accident and the death of her mother (Davis), Mary must live with the results. Her and her sister along with thier father (Firth) travel to Italy for a year in hopes that the change of scenery will help the grieving process. Each girl handles the life change differently. Based on the preview, I was worried about watching this because it looked so depressing. The first five minutes is very hard to watch, and sporadically there are tough parts, but this is not as bad as I was expecting. The acting was great, and the story is very real, but I just couldn't get into it. It was a little slow moving and seemed to go nowhere. I can't give it a bad grade because it wasn't a bad movie, just a little slow. Not really my kind of show. I know there will be many people who really like it though. I give it a C+.
Would I watch again? - I don't think I will, not one to watch over and over.
As a long-time Colin Firth fan I looked forward to this film, but while his performance is dead on, the film was disappointing. Director Michael Winterbottom is more into being seen as an "auteur" than in creating a cohesive film. He thinks he is being naturalistic by not using any lighting, but the eye naturally captures more light than a camera lens does so several scenes are so dark it is difficult to tell who is talking in situations where this would not be true in real life. Don't expect the central mystery of the film to be resolved, that is apparently too low-brow for Mr. Winterbottom. To be fair, if you liked "And When Was the Last Time You Saw Your Father," then you'll probably be moved by this one, too, But from my POV, it doesn't deliver both artistry & story like some of Mr, Firth's other films -- A Month in the Country, Apartment Zero, Trauma, The King's Speech, etc. -- it is more just art for its own sake.
After his wife dies, Joe (Colin Firth) decides a change of scenery would be good for him and his two daughters, so he accepts a teaching job at the university in Genoa. The younger daughter is racked with guilt and sees visions of her mother, the teenage daughter rebels by chasing boys, while dad enjoys his job and his students.
With a cinéma vérité style and plot, this film feels like a reality show. Dialogue is mumbled and often insignificant, emotions are muted and interactions are casual, the handheld camera is often shaky, and it all seems too ordinary to be interesting for an hour and a half. The children are often lost among the dark and winding alleyways of the city, building tension that, unfortunately, never pays off. The script (which annoyingly sometimes said they were there for a year, other times just there for the summer) goes on and on about their daily activities in a new city and that's realistic, but not, for me, necessarily entertaining.
Firth is very good as the father, but we never get to know or understand him well. Only once does he mention his wife and his feelings about her aren't clear. He seems to get over her quickly enough, embracing the city and romancing a local. Willa Holland is convincing as a self-centered and headstrong teen and is thoroughly unlikable. The youngest daughter is more sympathetic, but there was something lacking that kept me from caring about her.
All in all, I enjoyed the scenery but the story lacked emotion and clarity and was dull for me.
I'm probably going to get negative votes for stating my opinion here, but I must tell you the truth. So here goes...(remember I told you so).
If for some reason you wish to be depressed, watch this movie. If you like watching paint dry, watch this movie. If you like watching people walking, watch this movie. If you like watching people watching other people, watch this movie. It is very dark, and extremely slow. I did NOT find it beautiful at all...in any form. I wish I had not wasted our hard earned money on this one.
I'm giving it 2 stars only because of the acting performance by the younger sister in the movie. I would, otherwise, have given it 1 star. - My Favs Dvd - Hope Davis - Colin Firth'
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