Aprile

Aprile (1988)

I enjoyed this film as much as Caro Diario. I thought it was hilarious, although Nanni Moretti's humour is so deadpan I suspect some people may watch this film without realising that it's supposed to be funny. Also, as someone who is interested in Italian politics but finds it confusing, I found the political parts quite interesting. Still, the film is not really about Italian politics, it's about Nanni Moretti.

Whether mine or the movie's I'm not sure. In any case, when I saw this movie in Buenos Aires on its theatrical release, I was kind of disappointed. I'd seen _Caro Diario_ just a little earlier and thought that _Aprile_ lacked the freshness of the earlier movie. Plus, I found the stuff about Berlusconi and the elections kind of boring.

But after having seen most of Moretti's other movies, I took another look at _Aprile_ and realized that it's a wise and moving--if occasionally annoying--piece of work, after all. Certainly no less an achievement than _Caro Diario_ or _The Son's Room_. And if, like me, you've seen other Moretti movies, you realize that things that might seem incoherent on first viewing, such as musicals about dancing pastry chefs, are in fact long-time obsessions.

In his movies, Moretti's character is always surrounded by people: fellow leftists, old friends, family, parishioners, patients, and so on. But despite all these social ties, there's also a basic solitude that Moretti explores in his movies. I think that's why I like them.

Oh, and one more thing: he always makes Italy look gorgeous.

Bore, bore, bore... We've seen it all elsewhere. Nothing was funny, nothing was new. The only 5 minutes worth watching were those showing an overcrowded rusty ship, heavy with Albanian immigrants arriving to Venice. I wish this subject had been developed further, but it wasn't. Instead we have a silly film director who does not know what he wants until he has a son and appreciates the joy of life. How true, but how banal, who cares, we all know it...

First of all I must admit I like all things Italian. Consequently, I laughed a lot, was moved, and obviously felt identified with the protagonist, director, factotum Moretti. But overall I felt this film was a political disappointment. If he were truly a political man, he could NEVER turn into musicals! Period.

Such a cleansed, ideologically perverse genre is incompatible with a) political conscience b) brains.

OK, we don't always want to "save the world" or discuss hefty topics (like French cinema), but I find musicals a distasteful, tacky aesthetic option. That is why I felt so disappointed with Nanni.

I feel he has the potential to be a great director, a "beacon" of intelligent but not haughty film-making. Like Woody Allen, for instance. (I saw Caro Diario twice on cinemas, in spite of his long "tempos" at "Islands"). Instead, he makes the jokes too long, overacts, is outright stupid when coming up with nonsense while "doing the documentary".

By the way, I'd LOVE a life in which "shooting a documentary" were "duty". I wonder what "pleasure" would have to be :)! The inclusion of his baby and family may serve his a purpose, but I found it irrelevant at best.

Overall, I would like him to be the powerful director who could shoot this scene with the ship full of Albanians and piano music, touching without pounding a "message".

I'm afraid he would rather take the "playful/ escapist" way. It is very common in people dedicated to "the arts" (even the most brilliant, like Woody). But very frustrating to "us, social scientists".

Whichever our "rank"!

Conclusion: "If I could", I would say to him THE SAME HE SAYS TO HIS political CANDIDATES when facing Berlusconi on TV: "React! Say something!"

A musical will never tell any moving human story, nor be beautiful.

Allen makes a GREAT missile/ pun on them in "Match Point" (when the silly wife loves them, and the couple goes just after he misbehave a bit . He deems them SO irrelevant you only hear it for a second :). THAT is intelligent cinema!

Italian director Nanni Moretti returns with another film with his distinct style and humor. Semi-fiction, semi-documentary, "Aprile" describe the thoughts of the director on politics, movies, his newly-born son. Although he uses the same materials as in his previous excellent film (Caro Diario), the result is not as fresh. The scenes about the Italian elections are quite weak, especially for a non-Italian. At least, it's good to see Nanni in such a good mood as a dad.