Palombella rossa

As cinema "Palombella rossa" is quite bad, probably Nanni Moretti's worst film, and curiously made after "La messa è finita", in which faith was put to test. In "Palombella..." it was the turn to reflect on one sector of the tense fabric of Italian politics of late 20th century: the Italian Communist Party. Maybe today it results interesting from a historical perspective, as it probably was in 1989 from an ideological point of view to both Italian Communists and those who cared about their predicaments after the Berlin Wall fell. Unfortunately, endlessly enunciated ideas do not make an attractive audiovisual experience, even if the plot device of resorting to the loss of memory is a fine and clever excuse to trigger personal evaluation. Moretti relies more on words than on moving images and sounds, and in the end his film becomes very tedious. You may enjoy it if you love to hear him shouting for 89 minutes, and if you share his ideology (whatever it is): this reminds me of a few of my theater friends who enjoy some tiresome, stage-bound motion pictures that are loaded with dialogues and heavy theatricality. But the average spectator, even the one who loves "films of / with ideas", will probably look in another direction after 20 minutes.

an exceedingly eccentric film, with a devil-may-care approach that succeeds - and only just, at that - to the extent that one is charmed by wild improvisation. this is my style, so what, says the director, and shall we next try this?

Political analysis is quite beside the point, which is indeed the point, if any, of the film. The absurdity of grasping at political meaning (or rather, replacing it with expression) is wonderfully captured in amnesia (and the entire success of the film, by the way, depends on a brilliantly sustained performance in this role).

babble; terrific fun.

I think Palombella Rossa is the best movie of Nanni Moretti (but I am afraid that non-italians people may not think the same, because there are several references to the situation of Italy, both in the 70's and at the time of the movie, that is 1989).

I also think that it is easy to like Moretti (and his movies) very much or dislike him (and his movies) very much. It is much more difficult to stay in the middle.

I personally find in this movie a wonderful mix of humour, fun and poetry. I also appreciate a lot the choice of music and songs and the images from Doctor Zivago (which is immortal, in my opinion).

I think people who liked Moretti movies like April, Son's room and Dear Diary should see this one as well, and I hope they will enjoy it.

This is a very weird movie, one that feels so specific that it really is risky to recommend it to anyone. It is quite surrealist and random at times, but remains consistent in being hilarious. And perhaps the random nature of the movie is trying to convey the condition of the main character, who feels lost as much as his political party.

There are many references to the Italian culture, ranging from politics to music, cinema and sport. Some scenes ascended to a cult status, such as the famous slap. Overall an entertaining movie, thanks to the eccentric characters that populate the pool where the (inner) action takes place.

If you are Italian and old enough to have lived there in the 70s/80s, then you will probably get the point of this movie: Moretti's conflictual relationship with the (then) Italian Communist Party. But that doesn't change the fact that the film is weird and delirious.

If your clique is the intellectual/radical/snobbish kind, you'll have to say that the movie is superb.

If none of the above applies, then pick another film.