Tre Piani

In the cinematographic panorama of the last two years, there has been a growing trend of films leveraged by a certain type of introspection that takes the form of a reflection on the choices that are made, the paths that follow and how they influence, indelibly and irreparably, the characters' lives.

Nanni Moretti's moving new film, TRE PIANI (2021), seems to follow this trend (the expression "la nostra strada" is repeated in the film, probably to show that "la nostra strada" is not always the most indicated, that we should all question ourselves, because we all fail), and the characters will have to deal with the consequences of their choices, some of them even marked by a certain levity, ending up in tragic situations.

The story follows, over ten years, the daily lives of four families who live in the same building in Rome, each representing a different stage of life, a fact that is not unrelated to the circumstance of having a teenager, a child and a newborn at the centre of each of these stories, each of them containing within itself all the possibilities of the world.

Moretti's direction is of an impeccable sensitivity, letting the melodrama flow without unnecessary pauses and the passing of time is transmitted naturally, as if all those characters were really growing, aging, transforming before our eyes. Although, at times, we are tempted to judge their attitudes, it becomes clear, as the film progresses towards its conclusion, that there are neither good nor bad here, only human beings who make mistakes, who try to improve, who repent, who learn from their mistakes, and, in a way, achieve redemption, with the exception of the figure of the judge played by Nanni Moretti, whose rigidity of principles is never abandoned, but ends up being extinguished with him.

It is, therefore, on the dichotomy between justice / human relations that this film is based. The law, as a regulator, deterrent and punisher of human behaviour, should, must be, the same for all. However, the law of human relationships is volatile and always depends on a good dose of understanding, tolerance and acceptance, in order to make room for hope and change. The human condition feeds on them.

The narrative revolves around families who live on three floors of the same building, and each family has its subplot. You might even say that each family has its plot and we get three movies, intermingled, for the price of one. In Israel, where the original Three Floors novel comes from, there was even a stage play called The Third Floor that was based on a single one of them.

Although the novel is set in Israel, the plot and characters are reimagined in Rome for the film. There are a dozen characters to keep track of, and it's to the filmmakers' credit that keeping them straight is not a hopeless chore. The characters are interesting and believable, and they certainly go through a lot, but the film doesn't present us with any major character to identify with wholeheartedly. What we get is more like a human tapestry.

Another Moretti typical setting so plenty of Rome and silences, rich houses and spoiled people. Yet it is not forcibly filled with Italian stereotypes. Nanni Moretti is still bringing realism to the table. The move is interesting and can be seen just following along the plot without paying much attention but I am convinced there are different level of interpretation and maybe it's personal based on each one relation to a character or a situation.

After reflecting upon it, I come to the conclusion that the movie is about psychology. All the main characters have an obsession that profoundly affect their lives and their beloved ones.

This subtle fil rouge is worth all the movie.

A film who I love. For the honest perspective of relations between neighbors, for the clear portrait of relations children - parents, for the fair image of marriage crisis, for the gentle and precise exploration of emotions and reactions and truth.

Three families living, for 30 years, in same building.

Each five years mark a change in their lives.

And their reactions, about a son killing a woman, about a senile man and a little girl and their presumed relation in vision of father, about a mother animated by a menthal ill, like her mother, about a young woman and her first sexual experience are pieces of connections, falls, hope, new beginnings, fears and sources of courage and reconciliation.

A beautiful film in profound sense, proposing more than individual story but reminding, in inspired way, the universe defining Nanno Moretti creation.

The aesthetics, pace, decoration, costumes and cinematography remind us the best legacy of the Italian cinema. Nice performances and staging in a very beautiful, deep and humane Italian movie.