La Meglio Gioventù (aka The Best Of Youth) (2003) (Italy)

[hengcs]

Oh yes, I have just watched the movie ...
both parts at ONE GO ... WOW!!!
I highly recommend it ... ;)

In fact, I even lament that it is not the original 400 min, but 366 min ... why? why? why?
;(
Can someone please tell me those scenes that have been edited?

Although both parts are compelling, I like Best of Youth 2 slightly better ... maybe because Best of Youth 1 sets the tone ... and by the time you reach Best of Youth 2, you will be captivated ... so be patient ...

It has everything ... from the past (1966) to the present (2003) ... from family to social ... from sex to religion to politics ...

It is about love and conflict, humanity and cruelty ...
It is peppered with humor and tragedy, joy and tears ...
It is depicted with so much subtlety and expansiveness ...

In essence, it is an excellent piece of movie on characterization!
;)

Please visit the official website ...
http://www.lamegliogioventu.com

[hengcs]

After some searching, I have found some reference to the movie here ...
but I hope this new thread will help generate more interest in watching the movie ...
and maybe get the movie distributed to more states/cities ...

http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1108&highlight=best+of+youth


oh ... I have also just read Chris' critics ...

* lots of spoilers *

http://www.chrisknipp.com/writing/viewtopic.php?t=305

* end of spoilers *


(1) Regarding the opening sequences, I think several scenes have been edited out (from the 400 min) such that the contrast of their youth with their latter life is less apparent, and hence it may feel less compelling ...

In fact, after the first 20 min, I was still wondering should I have driven 1 hour (and returned another 1 hour) just to catch the movie ... and have I made a grave mistake by purchasing Part 2 tickets in advance (even before watching Part 1) ...

Fortunately, I stayed till the end of Part 1 and I really like Part 2 ... ha ha ha ... maybe Asians and Latinos prefer melodrama ... hee hee ... just take a look at our daily night TV drama and you will understand ... ha ha ha ...

But what really caught me was:

THERE IS SO MUCH SUBTLETY in the way they depict characters!

-- I actually like it and prefer it over explaining everything to the audience ...

-- In a way, the movie has hinted at why they behave as such ... I do not think it is necessary to explicitly state a lot of things ...

-- In other words, I may be able to try offer some plausible explanations to your qualms about the movie ... but there will be tons of spoilers in order to corroborate the discussion ...
e.g., your 1st critic on Matteo
e.g., your 2nd critic on Guilia ...

However, I would like to believe that:

-- Given a 400 min movie (and filmed in about 24 weeks), it is nearly impossible to be flawless and totally high key throughout ... different audience are bound to be unhappy about certain aspects of the movie ... be it plot, characterization, technical, or other aspects ...
;)

[Chris Knipp]

I'm fine with the fact that La meglio gioventù has gotten such a positive response in this country in the places where it has had theatrical presentations (why the cuts, I can't say). It seems to me to be just a very classy TV miniseries, but for students of modern Italian history it provides something to think about, and given the mediocre quality of many current Italian films, it does show quality. I hope you read over this thread you cited which arsaib4 very painstakingly put together from our discussion

http://www.filmwurld.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1108&highlight=best+of+youth

because we cover a lot of recent Italian films in it. That thread also has links to most of my reviews of recent Italian films. If people think Castellitto's Non ti muovere/Don't Move is a masterpiece...well, what can I say? But I'll grant you it gives Cruz and Castellitto a great chance to show their acting chops.

I would hope you would get to see Amelio's Le chiave di casa/The Housekeys, which i find quite moving; I thought it was coming to this country but other than in NYC in December I don't know where it's been shown. I really loved Bellocchio's new depiction of the Aldo Moro kidnapping, Buongiorno, notte, which you should like if late 20th-century Italian history interests you. I am dreading seeing Primo amore, Matteo Garrone's latest, though some may like it; it sounds way too over the top to me and friends who've seen it have confirmed that.

[arsaib4]

I'm also a little surprised with the kind of reviews The Best of Youth has garnered but am not disturbed by them. A 6-hr film doing well critically, and, from what I've heard, commercially - at least at theaters bold enough to program it - is fine by me. I think some of our critics haven't been able to distinguish its "made-for-tv" aspects from the overall sense of grandeur it presents spanning many decades. Marco Tullio Giordana's latest film is in-competition at Cannes this year.

I don't think too many people consider Don't Move a "masterpiece." I don't either but I certainly liked it a lot more than you did. Time permitting, will write more about it.

The Keys to the House (the official American title) did disappear quickly after opening here in December. Lions Gate will release it on DVD on June 28th.

We've exchanged some thoughts on Good Morning, Night (Buongiorno, Notte) before and we're in agreement on that one. It's simply astonishing piece of work. I'm still hoping that Wellspring isn't gonna dump it; still no release date and it's been over a year now. Artificial-Eye (http://images-eu.amazon.com/images/P/B0006VYF0Y.02.LZZZZZZZ.jpg) released it on DVD today (April 25) in the U.K.

I haven't seen Primo Amore either but it was officially released in the U.S. on April 6th by Strand. Got a decent review from Village Voice. It's only playing in NY right now, at the Quad. Will come to LA on April 29th. (I've posted a link to its DVD in the "Contemporary Italian Cinema" thread.)

[Chris Knipp]

The high rating of La meglio gioventú could be just buzz, or also due to never having seen a good long Italian historical TV miniseries. This isn't the first, but it's unusual in concerning very recent history.

It's a big, big shame about The Keys to the House (I thought it was "Housekeys" but I'm sure you're right). It was really something that impressed me very much when I saw in in Paris--and when I saw it again in New York last December. It would have been more accessible to the US public than Good Morning, Night. That has a suspenseful aspect, but requires some backgroud to appreciate, I should think.

This is frustrating, but it seems that in Italy they sort of quickly drop their own good films very often, show them very briefly, and basta. It didn't seem like L'ora di religione -- didn't you like that a lot? I can't remember -- was shown for long at all in Italy.

I don't know what they're calling Don't Move but in the SF paper the little man is jumping out of his seat, I think, which probably means a must-see. It didn't make me jump out of my seat; I thought it needed to be taken with a few large grains of salt. But it has high production values and good acting.

[hengcs]

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
I would hope you would get to see Amelio's Le chiave di casa/The Housekeys, which i find quite moving; I thought it was coming to this country but other than in NYC in December I don't know where it's been shown ...


I am waiting impatiently for this ...
I recall it being Italy's Oscar submission ...
;)

[hengcs]

Originally posted by arsaib4
I'm also a little surprised with the kind of reviews The Best of Youth has garnered but am not disturbed by them. A 6-hr film doing well critically, and, from what I've heard, commercially - at least at theaters bold enough to program it - is fine by me. I think some of our critics haven't been able to distinguish its "made-for-tv" aspects from the overall sense of grandeur it presents spanning many decades. Marco Tullio Giordana's latest film is in-competition at Cannes this year. ...


-- I am not sure if it feels "grand" to me just because it spans many decades ... in fact, it just comes across as an excellent TV drama to me ... hee hee ... ;P

-- Also, the many historical episodes/events did not strike a chord in me as much ... (probably because I am not an Italian)

-- What I really like about the movie are

(1) its SUBTLETY in portraying characters and plot ... often than not, the director hints at a point/feeling/event and continues ... the rest is for the audience to infer/think about/decipher ... maybe I am Asian, but that is the way a lot of us talk ... we do not like to be too blatant or explicit ...

In a way, some may criticize the director for not being too "explanatory" about their thoughts, but in life, many things are unanswered ... and you just have to figure that out or live with it ... that's life ... I guess ...

(2) of course there is the drama ... esp. in Part 2 (which I like better than Part 1) ... when watching part 2, I believe most audience will be drawn in to know what will happen to each and every of the characters ... not many movies can make you feel so ...

(3) The 6 hour is a double edge sword ... with this liberty of screen time, it allows the director to let the audience experience the characters (rather than hurry through) ... but I guess you have to credit the director that many audience are willing to pay and return to watch Part 2 of the movie (given that it is "optional", like a lot of sequels) ... more importantly, I like Part 2 better than Part 1 ...

(4) In terms of "aging", I think the actors/actresses are compelling too ... I actually believe they have grown old too ... even in their maturity and thoughts ... ha ha ha


One advice: NEVER go in with high expectations, else you will be utterly disappointed ... just go in expecting a TV drama, and you will like it ...
;)

[Chris Knipp]

It's an experience, seeing this in a theater. Maybe they should award T-shirts or something. It gives us a feeling of camaraderie (like a film festival, but as if we all actually saw the same films, which in the film festival we aren't doing).

I agree that characters are hinted at and not compltely spelled out. That's I think due to the fact that despite this being so long, it's also so ambitious in scope -- there are so many characters and so many years are spanned -- that no one character can be developed for long. In this the sequence is like a novel, even a long novel like Proust's. And that's damned interesting. But as we've more or less agreed, this happens in just about any good TV mini-series.


maybe I am Asian

Well, are you, hengcs? (Ha ha...) No, I know what you mean. But you don't really find these Italian characters reticeent, do you?

[hengcs]

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
Well, are you, hengcs? (Ha ha...) No, I know what you mean. But you don't really find these Italian characters reticeent, do you?


I am a Singaporean.
;)
So, I am an Asian ...

hmmm ... I am not sure if "reticent" is the word, maybe it is, maybe it is not ... but the characters in Best of Youth do not say everything explicitly ...

[Chris Knipp]

So you're reticent about using the word "reticent"?

[hengcs]

Originally posted by Chris Knipp
I would hope you would get to see Amelio's Le chiave di casa/The Housekeys, which i find quite moving; I thought it was coming to this country but other than in NYC in December I don't know where it's been shown. ...


I finally watched the film.
Hmmm ... where should I post my comments ...
There seem to be a few threads on this, but NO MAIN thread ...

[Chris Knipp]

Start one. I was waiting for distribution accross the US to review it.