In 2002, an Italian director named Gabriele Muccino made his first big international splash with “The Last Kiss,” a rueful romantic comedy that felt as close to the films of Woody Allen and Francois Truffaut as it did to traditional Italian cinema.
Muccino is back with another movie in exactly the same vein. “The Last Kiss” was about 30-something characters named Carlo and Giulia who couldn’t make up their minds about issues such as commitment and fidelity.
The characters in “Remember Me, My Love” are also named Carlo and Giulia, but they are well into middle age, married, with children. Yet they seem troubled by the old bugaboos.
Carlo (Fabrizio Bentivoglio) falls face-first into a mid-life crisis, despite (or because of) his more-than-comfortable existence. He’s tempted to throw over his humiliating corporate job, and an encounter with an old flame draws him into thoughts of straying.
It’s not really fair, because the old flame is played by Monica Belluci, of “The Matrix” and “Passion of the Christ.” The guy never had a chance.
Giulia (Laura Morante) sees escape in a rare opportunity at acting, her former passion. She’s cast in a small play and becomes fascinated by the director.
Meanwhile, their teenage kids flounder. Gorgeous Valentina (Nicoletta Romanoff) dreams only of being a lascivious dancer on an inane TV game show, and is willing to do anything to land the gig. Awkward Paolo (Silvio Muccino) just wants to fit in with his crowd and impress an indifferent girl.
These domestic traumas are slickly handled by director Muccino. I can’t think of anything particularly new that he brings to the subject, but the pacing is crisp and the Roman settings are atmospheric.
There’s probably something to be said for casting a movie with extremely good-looking people, too. Everybody on screen is easy on the eyes – Bentivoglio looks like the wavy-haired second coming of Marcello Mastroianni, and Laura Morante (who starred in John Malkovich’s “The Dancer Upstairs”) has the dark flashing eyes and volatile personality of the great Italian divas.
Conventional as the film sometimes seems, Muccino holds back a nice twist for the ending. It feels right, and it keeps “Remember Me, My Love” from becoming neatly rounded off. Something tells me Muccino is not finished poking into the conflicted lives of Carlo and Giulia.
“Remember Me, My Love” HHH
Good looking: Italian director Gabriele Muccino, whose style is as close to Woody Allen as to his countrymen, pokes into the uncertainties of a comfortable family in Rome. Slickly handled, but entertaining. With Laura Morante, Monica Belluci. (In Italian, with English subtitles.)
Rated: Not rated; probably R for subject matter, nudity.
Now showing: Harvard Exit.
“Remember Me, My Love” HHH
Good looking: Italian director Gabriele Muccino, whose style is as close to Woody Allen as to his countrymen, pokes into the uncertainties of a comfortable family in Rome. Slickly handled, but entertaining. (In Italian, with English subtitles.)
Rated: Not rated; probably R for subject matter, nudity.
Now showing: Harvard Exit.
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