Ciao

CIAO is a quiet little film - on more levels than one. The title of the movie is well chosen: 'Ciao' can mean both hello and goodbye, and that is the essence of this subtle film. Written by director Yen Tan and actor Allesandro Calza it is a very contemporary story about love and enduring feelings. The film takes its time, very literally, dwelling on still shots of doorways, paths, profiles, etc while the message of the film slowly surfaces. It is more an elegy than a story and it works quite well.

We first meet Jeff (Adam Neal Smith) as he is packing up the belongings of his longtime friend Mark who has just died, and in doing so he comes across Mark's computer and discovers messages to and from an Italian man named Andrea (Alessandro Calza), messages that define an internet relationship that ends with Mark's death. Andrea doesn't know about Mark's passing and when Jeff answers one of the emails stating that Mark has died, Andrea states he is on his way to the US for a wedding and that he had planned to meet Mark face to face in Dallas. Jeff extends the invitation to keep Andrea's plans, meets him at the airport, and invites him home where a long series of talks reveal the histories of both men and reminiscences of Mark. The mutual loss - one of a friend, the other of a potential love - mix and a new friendship of understanding and caring is born. Much to the credit of the writing, directing and acting, the ending is unexpectedly real - again recalling the title of the movie.

Some will find this film too slow and too 'empty', but for viewers who appreciate still life paintings and poetry, this film will satisfy.

Grady Harp

The makers of this film deserve every accolade that is written praising their work! "Ciao" is a truly remarkable film! What a pleasure to see a work of art that is not ashamed to deal with a sensitive theme in a tasteful and - to quote a word used in the script - UNcheesy - way. The script, acting, direction, lighting, editing and casting are all excellent. Overall the work achieves all that it sets out to do: tell a real life drama in a way that we VERY seldom see from Hollywood. "Ciao" does so with sensitivity, realism and genuine empathy for real human fears, joy, sadness and compassion. There is none of your usual quickly flashed, clichéd camera-work, or clever lines that pander to mediocrity and formula. "Ciao" is a film that takes its time to reveal the inextricably entangled knot of emotion, history, motive, intent, reactions, fate and timing that are a part of real life. What is particularly rewarding is that it does not rely on formula to tell the story. It is a film that is highly recommended to anyone who is a serious student of cinema as an art form. It sings as an echo to another great film by Woody Allen - "Interiors." The music, and indeed the lack of music in many of the scenes is beautifully apt and innovative. "Ciao" reminds us that we are too dependent on anticipation to make us feel comfortable. Art does not have the purpose of making us feel comfortable; art has the purpose of showing us reality and making us relate to that in the way we can best understand it. "Ciao" does this.

I recently saw 'Ciao' at a film festival in Australia and it turned out to be one of my favorites. I think it beautifully captured the cautious and quiet interactions we have with people who we barely know and who are from another country and culture. It was also a wonderful example of how we relate to another person who was unknown to us yet deeply loved the same person that we ourselves have loved. The common ground that two people have when they have both independently loved a third is thoughtfully explored.

This movie is for those who love to think about (and ponder) dialog. It is also for people who enjoy a solid script delivered by actors that quietly deliver the goods. To me it was both believable and possible, which made it even more endearing. I was afraid that the film was going to go in a predictable direction and have a Hollywood style ending but this temptation was (thankfully) resisted. Instead the audience was provided with a very moving, heart warming, and realistic conclusion. I felt the movie was full of meaning, but you had to be listening and patient. The movie was about the journey of two people who shared common ground and the connection between them because of it. I recommend it highly.

This film is not just unique it is also very unusual in that it simply does not live up to the preconceived hype associated with films in this genre. First of all, the director's style is fantastic because unlike every director on the planet he does not move the camera. Each shot is like a still life. This probably will drive some people crazy, but I loved it. Then there is the story. You just never know what is going to happen and eventually you realize nothing does happen. In this day and age when every scene in a movie is supposed to move the story forward, this film absolutely stands still so that combined with the non moving camera the film is like a series of still photos which in itself is quite abstract and surreal. The two leads are both very handsome and very charming and engaging. But the lack of action combined with the still-life photography really gives the two leads a great deal of character and depth that you just do not see in today's films.

There is a lot of praise for this little movie. It's well enough deserved as the atmosphere created by the photography is intimate and quiet.

Mark, the principle character, suffers the death of his close friend by an accident. Andrea is a friend that Mark never heard of from his now deceased friend. Mark invites Andrea to visit as the plans were already made before the accident. Andrea is in Italy, Mark is in Texas.

This sort of threw me as it is never made fully known how the deceased friend came to know Andea, other than through the internet. Andrea gets around we learn through his conversations with Mark. In my opinion Andrea is a paid escort but he never confesses this to Mark as he discovers that Mark is a very old friend of the dead guy and had great respect for him. Andrea has feelings and doesn't want to disillusion Mark with his true purpose for the visit.

Andrea goes back to Italy. I state this because Andrea comes across as patronizing and insincere.