Italian for Beginners

2000 "Attendance optional. Passion required."
Italian for Beginners
7| 1h52m| en| More Info
Released: 07 December 2000 Released
Producted By: Zentropa Entertainments
Country: Sweden
Budget: 0
Revenue: 0
Official Website:
Synopsis

A group of strangers find friendship, family and love within an Italian beginners’ course.

... View More
Stream Online

The movie is currently not available onine

Director

Producted By

Zentropa Entertainments

Trailers & Images

Reviews

dfwforeignbuff Italian for Beginners-2000 Italiensk for Begyndere. A film from Denmark. An unforgettable romantic comedy that's earned overwhelming acclaim, Italian FOR BEGINNERS is a warm & playful story about seven perfect strangers & the shared journey of discovery that changes each of their lives! In a small, rainy suburb, a mismatched collection of opposites have signed up for an Italian class in hopes of spicing up their lives! Then, as they realize the class offers them more than just language lessons, they join together on a quest to Italy with the renewed desire to pursue the romances of their lives! Once there, these world-weary students who thought there was nothing left to learn from life will get an education that will change everything they know about love! Hal-Finn (Lars Kaalund) who is in love with an Italian woman but is afraid to tell her, Olympia (Anette Stovelaek) who uses the class as excuse to get away from her demanding mother, & Carmen (Ann Eleonora Jorgensen) who has a similar problem with her alcoholic mom. Not your usual lighthearted romance, Lone Sherfig's heartwarming comedy warms the usually chilly Dogme 95 world of prickly eccentrics & damaged souls with a glowing sense of hope & passion. A belligerent restaurant manager, a repressed hotelier, a lonely hairdresser, & a clumsy, childlike bakery clerk are among the lonely thirty something's who escape the social disasters & comic chaos of their unfulfilled lives in an Italian-language evening course. It becomes a place to dream & to heal emotional wounds (& they have more than their fair share of scars). Sherfig manages to turn the familiar social landscape of films as The Celebration & The King Is Alive--fractured families, abusive parents, tragic pasts-into a backdrop for romantic comedy. If not exactly profound, Italian for Beginners remains a sweet, hopeful, & affirming tale of eccentrics who find friendship, family, & romance while learning the language of love. I liked this movie a lot! I don't know why the National TV Broadcase companies and Movie Productions companies don't try using to Dogme idea to make one hour real drama mini movies. ( even full length 2 hours movies) this film is a success. 5 stars
colinTheBarSteward A lovely, feelgood film that manages to avoid being twee through several flashes of that dry, dark, Danish sense of humour; as well as a willingness to look at life's realities square on, without overt sentimentality, but with a tentative optimism.For those familiar with Dogme '95 this is proof that it doesn't always have to be vaguely disturbing or downright shocking truths that the medium wrings out of its characters and situations - life isn't always that bleak. For those not familiar with Dogme, this film presents a warm and inviting pool in which one may dip one's toe comfortably.The six lead characters are three-dimensional and likable, including Lars Kaalund's Ramseyan restaurateur Halvfinn. The support is a little more exaggeratedly drawn, but still sympathetic for the most part. The plot is uncomplicated (no prizes for guessing the minor twists) but none the worse for that - part of the Dogme vow of chastity is to avoid the horrendously contrived plot twists favoured by Hollywood today over proper character development or story (you know the usual suspects).One to watch with (teenage) offspring, parents, partners, business partners, potential clients, complete strangers... in fact, just about anyone who's around.
prenumerera Usually i can't stand romance movies, they always tend to exaggerate everything about love and relationships in a way that i just plain stupid. But this movie manages to keep a nice pace and great cinematography. The movie built up my expectations for every minute and manages to fulfill them, and this is just incredible.This is the best danish film i have seen since Festen (The Celebration), i have seen a lot of danish movies but "Festen" and "Italiensk for begyndere" stand out in a remarkable way.If you liked this movie a would like to recommend movies from from Swedish director Lukas Moodysson, movies like "Fucking Åmal" and "Tillsammans" for example.
dlpatrick1 This is one of the most enjoyable and rewarding romantic comedies at the beginning of the decade. A Dogma 95 film, this movie exemplifies the challenges put up by the group of film makers that created Dogma 95 in Copenhagen. DOGMA 95 counters the individual film by the principle of presenting an indisputable set of rules known as THE VOW OF CHASTITY. The rules (10 in all) include principles such as: shooting must be done on location (scenes in Venezia) and on a sound stage used to rehearse Sound of Music--an auditorium where the Italian classes are held. Music should not be used unless it occurs where hte scene is being shot (how refreshing not to have Hollywood scores interrupting the natural sound). Hand-held camera-- this produces a feeling that you are doing the filming yourself. I felt that when Andreas was swimming in the hotel pool. Special lighting is not acceptable -- again the auditorium and the lights. Or the restaurant lighting. The characters in this movie are so real one feels you have met them before. You can read the plot elsewhere if you haven't seen this movie. There are pairings in this movie that show romance at its best -- forgiveness for the foible (Olympia was probably born with fetal alcohol syndrome-- Andreas understands this and near the end when he suggests she sing in the church choir, he suggests they prepare for her falling over into the pews. Giulia's budding love for Jorgen Mortensen is a treat -- little prayers in the kitchen -- and rehearsal for the big moments. This movie even treats impotence with the gentleness and humor and understanding that the best of life can deal. Perhaps most erotic is the scene where Karen washes Hal-Finn's hair in her salon -- ummmm! Not enough can be said about this movie. So to cut it short -- go see it -- watch it several times. A magical experience awaits -- where real people with real foibles find real connection.