Don’t forget – Gianni Di Gregorio’s “”Gianni e le Donne”, or as they are calling it here, The Salt of Life, will open in New York this weekend, LA next weeknd, and then spread around the country. Don’t worry if you don’t see your city. Miine is not listed but it’s coming here for our film festival.
Check here for a really nice photo gallery from the movie and here for dates and locations. I’ll be at the IFC film center on Friday night!
Cheri
This was a fun film; seen in Costa Mesa, California.
“Disappointment is often the salt of life.” -Theodore Parker
Well I finally watched this sequel. I have to say the English title is more accurate than “Gianni e le donne” which to me suggested Gianni would be having some fun after the first film waiting on his mother. The mother is even more of a bother in this sequel. Maybe I am just seeing the bleak side since my 91 year old mother-in-law is living with us and my poor husband is at her beck and call. I listened to the director talk about his film on the DVD Extras and he described his film as “positivo” and “ottimista”. I saw defeat at every turn, and yes this was often funny but in a very bittersweet fashion. (SPOILER) In the end, after a hallucinogenic evening from what I assume were drops of ecstacy in his drink, the boyfriend of his daughter asks: “Vorrei sapere a te cosa ti dice il cervello.” which I interpret as “what’s going on in your mind?” We are then shown a montage of “happy” Gianni e le donne. Donne who are no longer ignoring him. Cheri, what did you think?
You should take a look at my review
I guess I didn’t think of it as anything but just real – as a woman I’ve always felt that men were kind of spared the kind of “disappearing” that women feel as we sometimes feel when we get older – a diminishing of relevance. It was interesting for me to see that men could experience that too. And I liked that Di Gregorio showed it in a funny and not pathetic way.
Thanks. I had trouble finding your review when viewing from the iPad (the pane where Categories is listed doesn’t appear). Just wanted to add my two cents. For me it was closer to pathetic, but I get your point that is was interesting to see the diminishing relevance of a male character. I think my expectations when watching films is to see a “heightened reality” and this was as you say “just real”.