Giorni

I regret that I do not speak Italian because I believe there is a wealth of subtle texture I'm missing by viewing the dubbed version of Giorni. However, despite the language barrier I found this to be a true to life representation about living and loving with HIV/AIDS. I have seen no other film to date in which the day to day struggles of maintaining an HIV positive individual's health, adhering to a burdensome medical regiment and the various psychological battles involved in doing so is as well expressed. Claudio's hope for and despair of finding understanding and love, and his many unexpected losses and rewards are portrayed with the empathy of someone who has obviously seen the battle up close. It is a sober film but it contains truths that anyone who has made this journey, either with loved ones or themselves, will surely recognize and appreciate.

I almost didn't rent this because I can't stand watching movies with subtitles. I'm glad I did. Some of the characters & their storylines could've been left out, but overall a decent movie. I was very surprised at ending & the impact stuck with me through the day. Not a tear jerker, but makes you think.

"Days" ("Giorni") takes on interesting subject matter, but misses the mark. This tale of an HIV+ gay man named Claudio who rebels against the regiment that he's surrounded with (bank job, long-time lover, family, HIV medications, safe sex) would be more impactful if the lead character were less closed up. But the biggest problem is the character of the young man - Andrea - our anti-hero has a passionate affair with.

Andrea exists less as a three-dimensional person than as some kind of romantic fantasy figure who passionately falls in love with Claudio in a remarkably short amount of time (i.e. one trick and a quick meeting at a restaurant). Andrea also has no qualms about having unprotected sex with Claudio. We never find out why he's so in love with Claudio (who never seems particularly charismatic) and why he would risk his health and life to have unprotected sex.

While Claudio gets lectured by a few other characters for his reckless behavior, the film has an opportunity to get underneath the frustration of people with HIV and what they have to deal with daily, even though Claudio never seems to be suffering from his multiple medications too much.

Unfortunately, the film is more interested in presenting bareback sex and HIV as the ingredients in some romantic tragedy. Claudio's and Andrea's fate is such that you have to wonder if the filmmaker - a woman - isn't trying to put as depressing a face on gay male life as she can - that HIV infection is inevitable, so you might as well just get it over with. On some level, I find this film quite stupid and irresponsible, though I'm sure the director and the film's defenders would call it "challenging." Nonsense.

Many talk about how much more sophisticated Europeans are about homosexuality, but I sure haven't seen that in the films about gay life that come from that part of the world. In some ways, they're more backward than what we see here.

This Italian work with English subtitles is a tour-de-force examining the problems that a HIV+ individual has in balancing his desire for freedom with his responsibilities and his long term relationship. Claudio (Thomas Trabacchi) has planned nearly his whole life, including a job transfer to Milan. His lover Dario (Davide Bechini) makes the sacrifice and moves a couple weeks in advance of Claudio, to set up the new house. Meanwhile, Claudio approaches his juncture with abandon. He chances to meet an old trick, Andrea (Riccardo Salerno), and the two embark on an impulsive affair.

What is interesting about this movie is the amount which is not said. We never know until near the end how much Dario knows. Claudio and Dario's separation is contrasted by Claudio's intense relationships with his inquisitive mother and sister. Add in a friend (an HIV+ aerobics instructor) who speaks his mind easily, and it seems everyone is upset with Claudio. Everyone but Andrea, that is. Andrea accepts and loves Claudio for who he is, not what he's achieved. Perhaps it's because Claudio has opened up very little to anyone *but* Andrea.

The plot, of which I don't want to reveal too much, speaks volumes about the difference of attitudes between Italy and the USA. If Claudio's characters were an American in an American movie, many would consider him a villain. In Italy, he could be a hero.

I agree with who found this to be a true to life representation about living and loving with HIV/AIDS. I have seen no other film to date in which the day to day struggles of maintaining an HIV positive individual's health, adhering to a burdensome medical regiment and the various psychological battles involved in doing so is as well expressed. Claudio's hope for and despair of finding understanding and love, and his many unexpected losses and rewards are portrayed with the empathy of someone who has obviously seen the battle up close. It is a very interesting movie and it contains truths that anyone who has made this journey, either with loved ones or themselves, will surely recognize and appreciate.