Aprile

Aprile (1988)

I enjoyed this film as much as Caro Diario. I thought it was hilarious, although Nanni Moretti's humour is so deadpan I suspect some people may watch this film without realising that it's supposed to be funny. Also, as someone who is interested in Italian politics but finds it confusing, I found the political parts quite interesting. Still, the film is not really about Italian politics, it's about Nanni Moretti.

Whether mine or the movie's I'm not sure. In any case, when I saw this movie in Buenos Aires on its theatrical release, I was kind of disappointed. I'd seen _Caro Diario_ just a little earlier and thought that _Aprile_ lacked the freshness of the earlier movie. Plus, I found the stuff about Berlusconi and the elections kind of boring.

But after having seen most of Moretti's other movies, I took another look at _Aprile_ and realized that it's a wise and moving--if occasionally annoying--piece of work, after all. Certainly no less an achievement than _Caro Diario_ or _The Son's Room_. And if, like me, you've seen other Moretti movies, you realize that things that might seem incoherent on first viewing, such as musicals about dancing pastry chefs, are in fact long-time obsessions.

In his movies, Moretti's character is always surrounded by people: fellow leftists, old friends, family, parishioners, patients, and so on. But despite all these social ties, there's also a basic solitude that Moretti explores in his movies. I think that's why I like them.

Oh, and one more thing: he always makes Italy look gorgeous.

I did think it a little unkind that Silvio Berlusconi didn't get a credit here. He features enough - on television or by reputation! It's against the backdrop of the 1996 Italian elections that Nanni Moretti attempts to focus on two significant events in his life. Marginally more important is the birth of his first child, but that's only slightly ahead of his planned documentary about the aforementioned elections. Now this documentary wasn't his first choice. He was initially intent on making a musical, or some sort of revue, but now set on his new course he suffers from a director's block. The crew are poised but his brain is stalled. He's completely perplexed as he must juggle his priorities. He's man of the political left so his documentary planning is also fuelling his disdain for the future of politics in his country... Bluntly, he's between a rock and a very hard place. It's quirky and comical this film whilst taking a few free swipes at people generally out of their depth whether that be about fatherhood, politics or filmmaking. The last five minutes are maybe just a little predictably surreal and Moretti does rather monopolise the screen, but the jolly score and entertaining dialogue make for an enjoyable, if admittedly forgettable, eighty minutes of frustrated mayhem.

Most filmmakers don't use themselves and their families in such a shamelessly autobiographical fashion as Nanni Moretti. You could call him brave or, if a detractor, perhaps just lazy. I mean, it must be easy to regurgitate your life on screen in a quasi-documentary fashion except that Moretti is one of the smartest and funniest filmmakers ever to have come out of Italy and the shamelessly autobiographical "Aprile" is a small gem, (it's only 75 minutes long).

Moretti himself plays a film director called Nanni, planning to shoot a musical but finds he can't while his wife, played by real-life wife Silvia Nono, is pregnant, so instead he chooses to make a documentary on the Italian elections. "Aprile" itself isn't a documentary but a very charming if hugely self-indulgent comedy on the director's life. It is, in its way, another "Dear Diary" with its tongue lodged firmly in its cheek. How you respond to it, of course, will depend on how you respond to Moretti. I love him and am happy to take almost anything he sends my way. He may be indulgent but he's certainly a lot funnier and more likeable than Roberto Benigni, (he's closer to being an Italian Woody Allen). When I wasn't laughing out loud, which was frequently, I had a permanent smile on my face. See this.

I anticipated this movie for so long, because of that awesome dancing chef. Then I watch it and he's introduced at the start, then is not seen for the rest of the movie until the very end. And only for one measly minute. And even then, it was worth it. Anyone who wants to see an absolute legend, hire this movie out, fast-forward the first hour and a half, then sit back and enjoy the dancing chef.

They should make a whole movie on him, like they fictionally do at the end of APRILE.

Two words- Dancing Chef!