Lezioni di cioccolato

This movie is set in Perugia, Italy where Mattia, played by Luca Argentero, is a self-centred, carreerist, building promoter who, in order to break into the market accepts cheap contracts and cuts corners by buying cheap material, hiring black labour, paying little and not caring for his team's safety. On one occasion, one of the workers, an Egyptian, Kamal, played by Hassani Shapi, has an accident and falls from a roof.

Kamal could denounce Mattia, who would end in prison and see his career ruined. To avoid this, the two strike a deal...

The movie's strength, in my opinion, is in the lightness through which the story passes us a delicate message about immigration and about those in margin of society. The film is about how, if we take time, we can appreciate someone else's culture and point of view, and that, things that seem odd and perhaps picturesque, make sense when one lives them, or at least, sees them from closer by. This movie is about what matters in life: values such as quality over mediocrity, helping and achieving together over selfishness, and truth over lies. It is also about how people on the margins of society are confronted by everyday life through a different perspective than the everage middle-class citizen. The movie brings through all these serious messages in a very easy flowing and light way. Although there is quite a bit of stereotyping, it is mastered for the sake of the message, and I for one, at no point felt it was offending. The actors are OK, and the film does not offer any technical break-throughs but flows pretty well. All in all, it is a very pleasant and positive film, with an intelligenty written screenplay and a worthy message behind. Bravo.