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Italian for Beginners (2001)

Italian for Beginners (2001)
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The Dogma 95 movement has seen some searing looks into the human condition but rarely a romantic comedy -- until now. Veteran Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig spins this deadpan look at a group of lovelorn outsiders living in a grey corner of Copenhagen. After the perennially foul-tempered minister of a local church is fired after doing great injury to the organist, Andreas moves to the area to take over the parish. Staying in a hotel until his predecessor can be wrested from the rectory, Andreas befriends the establishment's scatter-brained manager, Jørgen, who is utterly in love with a beautiful Italian barmaid working at a nearby pub run by Hal-Finn. When the irascible Hal-Finn is chastised by the bar's owner for his unkempt appearance, he goes to a local salon where he meets Karen, a comely hairdresser harried by her grasping mom. Meanwhile, Andreas falls for a lethally klutzy pastry shop assistant named Olympia. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

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Starring:
Anders W. Berthelsen, Peter Gantzler, (more)
Director(s):
Lone Scherfig
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Italian for Beginners

The Dogma 95 movement has seen some searing looks into the human condition but rarely a romantic comedy -- until now. Veteran Danish filmmaker Lone Scherfig spins this deadpan look at a group of lovelorn outsiders living in a grey corner of Copenhagen. After the perennially foul-tempered minister of a local church is fired after doing great injury to the organist, Andreas moves to the area to take over the parish. Staying in a hotel until his predecessor can be wrested from the rectory, Andreas befriends the establishment's scatter-brained manager, Jørgen, who is utterly in love with a beautiful Italian barmaid working at a nearby pub run by Hal-Finn. When the irascible Hal-Finn is chastised by the bar's owner for his unkempt appearance, he goes to a local salon where he meets Karen, a comely hairdresser harried by her grasping mom. Meanwhile, Andreas falls for a lethally klutzy pastry shop assistant named Olympia. This film was screened at the 2001 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
97 mins

Complete Cast of Italian for Beginners


Director(s):
Lone Scherfig
Writer(s):
Lone Scherfig
Producer(s):
Ib Tardini
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Adult Humor, Adult Situations, Profanity, Sexual Situations)
Categories:
Independent Films
Italian for Beginners Awards:
  • 2000 - Berlin International Film Festival - Silver Berlin Bear Jury Prize
  • 2001 - Berlin International Film Festival - Silver Bear - Jury Prize
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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Sally N.

This movie uses video tape and not film. It relies for the most part on intense close-ups that disconcertingly serve only to pointlessly dramatize. It also uses that jiggly camera motion which can not only make you nauseous but make it difficult to see the action. I'll admit, I only made it 1/2 through this movie as I felt the characters, whose lives were all very depressing and some were unredeemable, and the plot boring. At the most I would rate it as a good effort for a talented high-school film student. Don't waste your time.

Yes   |   No

 
Frank G.

Sorry, folks but there's nothing amateur and this film and its quite creative. If you are adicted to Hollywood formulas anything that moves away from the original takes adjustment. Dogma 95 movies can appear a bit austere until you get used to it, thought they are not heavy on symbolism or difficult to grasp. The emphasis is on the character and story, stripping away irrelevancies and distractions and trying to create an almost live atmosphere. For example, the movement tries to avoid the use of background music to reinforce plot twists though live music is acceptable, as when there is a musician in a club or a character turns on a stereo or plays the jukebox. I think the abrupt beginning (in media res) also took some getting used to and closed some minds from the start. Actually, it has a kind of feel-good ending, which isn't typical of Dogma95. You might find, if you want it a second time, that you'll be surprised at what you see and the difference in your reactions.

Yes   |   No

 
Dawn R.

The cover picture is deceiving. This is not a light-hearted trip to Italy, though we stopped it half-way through. We heard it gets better, but the beginning was too depressing to keep watching.

Yes   |   No

 
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