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    A Five Star Life

    Reviewed by
    pietroantoni@

    This Italian film is a very diverting one especially if one happens to be Italian. I truly don't think it would appeal much to the foreigner as it is a slight film with very deep Italian roots. The plot may seem rather slim with very little or a minimum of action, but VIAGGIO SOLA, ( I travel alone ) as it is called in Italian is a wonderfully crafted film by director Maria Sole Tognazzi who could possibly be related to the great Italian actor UGO TOGNAZZI! Gian Marco Tognazzi, her cousin, plays Irene's brother-in-law with great appeal.

    In a line the story revolves around an INSPECTOR of FIVE STAR HOTELS (Margherita Buy) who won best actress at the Venice Film Festival for her role in this film of 2013. It's a deceptively simple film which seems to have very little to say, but as we progress through it and especially as we reach the conclusion we learn little by little that THERE IS A GREAT DEAL REVEALED about the human condition or life in general.

    The protagonist IRENE, the inspector mentioned above is always on the road, as one would presume from the title. She seems to have it all. But does this woman come to have some sort of Epiphany about her life?

    That is the real story of the film. I don't think one can enjoy this film much if one is not Italian as stated above. The family, relationships, the way the country works are modern but have a very deep Italian tradition that non-Italians might just not get. In the end the film vents all sorts of things without ever being preachy. Is it alright to have a child out of wedlock? How important is family? How great is it to always be on your own? How much fun will this job afford as middle life is approaching? What's it like to be a woman of a certain age without a husband or a partner in crime? Is all the luxury work really worth your entire life? Irene sees what full lives others are having and so begins to question hers. Her final lines of the film, which I won't quote here, are deceptively simple, but oh so true. This film makes one think about small things that are, in fact, the big things in life. I truly enjoyed this feature... Stefano Accorsi as the male lead is a charmer from beginning to end, an Italian " signore " who has a heart of gold. He looked VERY SIMPATICO from his very first scene. Fabrizia Sacchi as Irene's sister has some wonderfully delicious scenes and English actor Lesley Manville is impeccable as a travelling anthropologist of sorts, still spouting all sorts of truisms about the women's movement from the 1970's which, in the end, didn't really accomplish that much for women. And finally the great Margherita Buy, whom I discovered some ten years ago, is worth her weight in gold, giving a deceptively understated performance with some incredible bursts of energy due to very distinct frustration. She was gorgeous, as usual. A VERY CHARMING FILM ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE ITALIAN BY BIRTH.

    8
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    pietroantoni@  22.3.2015 age: 36-49 14,540 reviews

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