User reviews

Once in our lifetime, we do experience what Walter does: don't know what to do next about everything, relationship, career, faith etc etc.

I watched this some years ago on Interactive TV, still, I remember it so well because I know so well what Walter undergoes. Just like many young people, I once desired so tremendously that I would be the master of my belief and philosophy that I didn't want to imitate or even learn from others. Absolute freedom and definitely new ideas would be generated from my soul. In those campus days, "contamination of spirit or soul" was what I tried so hard to steer clear of. Yet, as days went by, when pride and aspiration plunged from their pinnacle, nihilistic romance is not a loyal lover any more.

The Hong Kong Chinese translation of the film title is very local: "Life's Sandwich". With a ham in the middle and two pieces of bread on the outside, a sandwich is made. In our culture, "Sandwich" means someone who is being pressed in the front and at the back so they cannot move forward or backward. And Walter is being trapped like one by his family, society, government and his own self.

In the city, thousands and thousands of new graduates are being emitted from the drains, pipes or chimneys of the universities. Due to the economic downturn, they find it baffling when it comes to job hunting. We have many many Hong Kong Walters.

This is one of the three movies I consider the pillars of my young adult informal formation. So iconic for many different reasons. First we have Valerio Mastandrea as Walter, the main character - a lost philosophy student - and my favourite italian actor. Second the solidity of a script coming from the book of Giuseppe Culicchia and readapted by the author himself and Davide Ferrario, the director. Third the music department literally invaded by CSI (former CCCP) one of the few original and noticeable contemporary Italian bands. If you add all the three ingredients you get a miracle. A perfect imperfect movie (perhaps like some period of our lives) depicting a young guy that doesn't fit anywhere. This is the personification of sociological concept of 'liquid society' by Zigmunt Bauman, probably not on purpose though. The portrait of a lost soul left without guidance from the past and alone and depressed about the future. As the CSI well dress with one of their most famous songs: 'io sto bene, io sto male, io non so come stare' ('I'm good, I'm not good, I don't know how I should feel'). This is truly a masterpiece to watch. PS: The other two pillars for those interested are: Piovono Mucche (2002) and SLC Punk! (1998).

Intro: I always lived in Torino, but the month I went away to work in Rome they filmed this movie, half the people I know, were stand-by and some even said a couple of lines Main subject: Not being biased but this movie, is a true piece of art, of real history, this movie has real insight on the situtation, especially, went Valerio goes to look for a Job, it's really like that, and the teachers , and all the surrounding is really real, this movie has a steady background music by cult group C.C.C.P who then became know has C.S.I,this movie is really fast-paced but clear, and it's the kind of movie you don't mind watching twice in row. It's light and fast. Treat yourself and watch it. If you don't trust me, then watch it just for the music...

Tutti Giù Per Terra is one of the few worth watching italian movies in the last five years. Not that the storyline is so different from the other italian crap of those times, but the nihlism of the main character fits well with Mastandrea clean acting, Valerio really kicks ass in this pic, Manni playing the father is fun as always but also very dramatic, and he gets the best last line in an italian movie ever, just before he kicks the armadillo!! I laughed for like an hour! Ferrario did also a good job with his next corageous effort "Guardami", but this movie was way better. 7 out of ten.