Viaggio sola

Very attractive leading actress, well performed through out the whole movie. But what else we got here? A constantly changed scenes and locations inside or outside the hotel dining patio. The relationships between and among the participants are loosely explained and developed. She got a relationship with a man over 15 years, still periodically slept together without sex. She's the confidant of that man, who's running a wholesale food supply to the restaurants or cafes. But I really don't know he could leave his daily work, went to find her 5-star hotel inspector anytime he got in some trouble, 'cause she's constantly travel all over the place, not just Italy. Then her two nieces mother was somewhat an absent-minded woman, a clumsy mother and a wife. She sometimes visited them and helped taking care of the kids, even gave a hand in their kitchen, 'cause the kids' mother was so clumsy even doing food preparation.

There were many beautiful scenes and scenaries as she traveled anonymously to inspect those 5-star hotels. A lonely traveling woman, classy and attractive, but other than that, what else we got? Almost nothing, the only thing that attracted me to continue watching is the leading lady, her subtle charm besides her loneliness and toughness to keep moving forward and around. That's all I can say here. (This is what the 3.5/5 part I'm talking about here)

But after she met a Bristish feminist woman, the whole movie suddenly turned into a very deep and quite philosophic profound one, even it's a bit short and late, but it actually made the former quite blended part become very meaningful to seamlessly evolve into a great movie.

This film comprises a series of scenes that are randomly stuck together in the hope that a movie will be shaped. It never happens. Thirty minutes into the film, one has no idea of the relationship between the various characters, or who they are (other than the lead actress). You know who she is, what she does and the advantages and disadvantages of her job. And.....that's all, Folks! If you decide to watch the whole film, it will be time you'll never get back!

This is an intelligent and well-crafted film with fine acting, a sharp script, at times humorous with some surprises along the way, and ably directed by Maria Sole Tognazzi. I thought the characters were well developed and believable, as well as the movie being beautifully shot via its cinematography.

Margherita Buy is superb as Irene Lorenzi, employed by a publication as a mystery guest, where she travels the globe examining luxury hotels to see if their standards are up to a 5-star rating. She's very thorough and conscientious in her job, but begins to realize that years are passing, and that she remains quite lonely.

Irene is unmarried and has no children, and except for her best friend Andrea (Stefano Accorsi), with whom she had a relationship with some 15 years before, her sister Silvia (Fabrizia Sacchi), brother-in-law Tomasso (Gianmarco Tognazzi) and her two nieces, she has no intimacy with anyone else.

When a shocking event occurs at one of her hotel stays, she must really focus on re-evaluating her priorities and her life.

To me, this was an exceptional and enjoyable movie geared to adults, filled with fine performances, intelligence, humor, and surprises.

After initially reading through the "summary" under the movie before watching, I had anticipated something different... perhaps more like a Sex and the City kind of vibe with luxury and maybe even romance. However, after seeing how lonely Irene is and how she actually has minimal (meaningful) relationships, it puts what sounds like a fun, luxurious job into perspective. I would think that she gets to travel all over and have fun, while the reality showed that she is rarely ever home and with company she enjoys. I would think that she has great times using the hotels' amenities and relaxing, while she is actually having to do so much and pay such close attention to so many things most people would find it meticulous and possibly even unbearable. I enjoyed this film because of the perspective that it showed and the message of what is actually meaningful and valuable in our lives.

A Five Star Life's original Italian title is Viaggio Sola, which loosely translates to "Traveling Alone". That may have been the better English title for A Five Star Life, not only because the heroine travels for 80% of the film but because it would better serve the emotion the film is trying to convey, as some of that emotion seemed to be lost in translation.

Irene (Marguerita Buy) is a beautiful woman in her 40s who is a five star hotel secret guest. So she has the best job in the world as she checks into the fanciest hotels all over Europe and meticulously grades everything she sees and experiences. It's a glamorous yet solitary life, and Irene lives it never bothered by the lack of personal relationships one would usually have at her age. Those closest to her include her ex- fiancé Andrea and her sister Silvia, a busy mother of two young girls. When Andrea (Stefano Accorsi) learns he is going to be a father from a one night stand, Irene starts to reevaluate her lonely luxurious life. Irene's sister Silvia is a busy musician, wife and mother of two. She is presented to us as the antithesis of Irene, almost what women are supposed to become if they choose the "normal" path of husband and kids. The scenes between Silvia and Irene are the most interesting in the film. Their conversations display a jealousy from both sides yet each hold a candle of superiority over the other, showing that no path is the true path to happiness.

Director Maria Sole Tognazzi paints a beautiful and stark painting of Irene's life on the go. Much like George Clooney in Up in The Air, Irene lives out of her suitcase in the most beautiful rooms in the most stunning places in the world. Back home in Italy you are shown the complete opposite- Irene's empty apartment is a physical representation of her personal life. The camera work in the many places Irene visits is spectacular. From a belly dancer in Morocco to a gorgeous mountain range in Sweden, Tognazzi has an eye for atmosphere and it serves her well in this film. The camera also loves Marguerita Buy. She has the presence of a younger actress with her elegant but casual wardrobe and her perfectly tousled curly blonde hair. Yet she wears her age in such a classic and natural way- you would not want her any other way.

The idea in A Five Star Life is that Irene is lonely and she is doubting her life choice to be single and childless. There is no great urgency from her, especially when she's having a leisurely cocktail in Paris, Stockholm, or Berlin. These places take her away from what is really bothering her. She is most lonely and desperate when she's surrounded by her loved ones. They represent what she has left behind and what she can not get back. More scenes with them would have served the narrative better and given the audience more of an emotional tie to her plight. A Five Star Life is a light and delightful travel movie, but for the emotional moral to really hit home it could have used a little less travel.

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