Libero

I recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival and of the 31 films I saw there this film makes my top six. Actor Kim Rossi Stuart makes an impressive directorial debut with this film. Stuart began his acting career as a child actor and probably from that experience he gets the most from his two young actors in the principal cast who are making their acting debuts on film. Stuart casts himself as Renato who is a single father raising a son, Tommi (Allessandro Morace) and a daughter, Viola (Marta Nobili). This is a macho dominated family unit with all the pressure put on Tommi from his father Renato who wants to live his own childhood through Tommi and dominates and supersedes Tommi's own ambitions. Sister Viola kind of gets a free pass to skate through life from Renato. We soon learn that the children's mother Stefania (Barbora Bobulova) is very much alive as she repentantly returns to ask to be once again accepted into the household. She apparently has a history of extra-marital affairs but again in the macho society of this film there is no contesting child custody or the home to live in on her part. Renato has the ultimate say if she can stay or leave and the home and children are his. Both parents obviously love their children but both have emotional problems. Stefania as the straying mother and housewife and Renato who is a fun and creative guy but his broken marriage eats at him and he flares up at the children but also lovingly plays around with them like a kid himself. His do-it-my-way attitude spills out to his work environment also as a freelance film cameraman and causes further problems for him. The title Along the Ridge comes from the building rooftop where Tommi keeps a secret hiding place precariously perched at the edge of a steep roof high above the street below. Good story from Linda Ferri, Francesco Giammusso, Federic Starnone and Stuart with excellent cinematography from Stefano Falivene. I would give this an 8.5 out of 10 and recommend it.

Tommi, 11 years old, lives with his older sister Viola and his father Renato. At the beginning of the film we don't know where Stefania, their mother, is; but she appears again, and, even we came to know that in the past she hasn't been able to stay in the family and grow up her children, this time it seems she came to stay. Viola is happy, Tommi is more skeptical. Time will tell who was right. "Libero" is a defensive soccer player who doesn't have a specific opponent; Tommi, who is a very good swimmer but doesn't like to swim, at the end of the film says "Anche libero va bene" ("Even libero is OK"), when finally his father agrees to send him to a soccer school, even he'd better be a midfielder. This is a difficult film, dealing with the over-discussed family subject in an ordinary, but still very different way, aided by a superb interpretation of all the four leading characters, with a special mention for the first-time-on-screen Alessandro Morace as Tommi. Barbora Bobulova could be the best Italian actress if she was born in Italy (but we adopt her with great pleasure), and Kim Rossi Stuart, for his debut as director, is also convincing as Renato, even if he had to substitute at the last moment Sergio Rubini, who was the original choice. Probably the best Italian film of 2006.

recently i saw this movie in a TV channel. i don't know about the actors and directorial details of this film.but those people are doing their job very well.especially the boy,he is the best choice for the character.the father character,particularly in the scene where he angry with his son ,when his wife cheating him scoring our attention fully.later i know he is the director of the film.finally,the story is well written .totally the film is simple and beauty.maybe its a melodrama,but it has a message as 'anything will happen life,but life must go on'.this film reflects the modern family life and the sensual problems of children and the parents.the camera work is well done.especially the swimming competition scene.it proves even the small budget films also have the perfect camera works.after a long time it is the mind blowing job along the recently watched films of mine.

This movie was re-released in Pathe theatres, Amsterdam as part of the Summer Films special screening. I read very good reviews of it and was interested to see it. Even if did not turn out to be what the reviews say (that happens quite often) I would had been fine.

The story is shown through the eyes of 11 year old boy Tommi (Alessandro Morace), who stays in an urban lower middle class dis-jointed family with his unemployed cameraman father Renato (Kim Rossi Stuart) and sister Viola (Marta Nobili). His mother Stefania (Barbora Bobulova) has left the family for some other man. Even in the dis-functional family where it is difficult to meet expenses and ends, Renato with all his frustrations, still loves the kids a lot. Parallel to this are two sub-plot running – one, where Renato wants his son Tommi to be a swimmer, whereas Tommi wants to become a football player. Second, the school life of Tommi – where he tries to seek friendship and love with his classmates. When Stefania suddenly appears one day out of no where back to the family – after a bit of test and trials – there is hope, happiness in the family. But again suddenly she disappears and leaves behind the traumatic family in despair.

This is the first time directorial debut of the very good looking famous Italian actor Kim Rossi Stuart. After his long acting career he does great justice to his new role as a Director. I read that he was not suppose to act in this movie, and only direct the movie; but just 15 days before the shooting – when the selected actor left the movie, the producers persuaded Kim to take the role of the father. Kim looks stunning, very pleasing to the eyes and has acted efficiently well. I think after a long time, I personally have seen some real good looks on screen. But I will leave it on girls and women to add more.

But the movie belongs wholly and solely to Alessandro Morace. First movie and he lives the role of Tommi as no other kid could have ever done justly. He shows all the range of emotions so naturally as if this role was written keeping him in mind. He is magnificent. Equally good in their small roles are Marta Nobili and Barbora Babulova.

In the beginning 15 minutes of the movie Director / actor Kim sets the tone by exposing to audience scenes that would make the point – of what to expect from the movie so people are not deceived into any flamboyant commercial stuff.

This movie is jointly written by four writers with Kim being one of them. There are so many numerous scenes in the movie that make you feel – oh alas, I hope I was part of this family and character. They are so wonderfully filmed. The touching moments moist your eyes and linger with you even after the movie is over.

Good music, good editing, good cinematography! Great cinema! Well done. If I had not gone to see this – I would had missed a gem.

(Stars 7.75 out of 10)

This film is about a family of four and told through the character of Tommi, an 11-year old boy. His sister is a nuisance, and he has trouble getting friends in school.

The mother of the family has some psychological issues and disappears for weeks, then returns for a few weeks of nuclear family bliss.

The father is a poor, stressed out cameraman struggling to find work. He goes from loving and caring role-model-father to angry, rampaging mad in seconds.

The tensions between all four members of the family are really done well, the film is believable and very emotional. Both adults and children in this story give great acting performances.