Review of Italian For Beginners

Introduction

Italian for Beginners (Italiensk For Begyndere) is a film which adheres to Dogme95`s `Vow of Chastity`. I`ll briefly describe what it is here, for those of you that already know about it, you can skip to the next paragraph. Dogme95, to put it simply, is low-tech filmmaking. It was created with the intention of bringing filmmakers back to their raw talent in concentrating on the film itself rather than anything else. Without the preoccupation of hair, lighting, make-up, costume props etc, they are free to concentrate on getting the best performances out of their actors for the film. The film is made in the here and now. More information can be found on the official Dogme95 website at: http://www.dogme95.dk/ where you can find the FAQ and `VOW OF CHASTITY`. The technique is an interesting concept.

We follow the lives of six central characters in a small Danish community, who all have one thing in common; they`re all enrolled in an Italian language evening class. We have a mild mannered hotel manager, Jorgen Mortensen, who fears women because of his impotence, his long-time friend the rude Hal-Finn who runs the restaurant, and Olympia, the clumsy baker`s girl. The other half consists of a new parish priest who moves to the community to stand in the suspended priest, the hairdresser with an alcoholic mother, and finally Giulia. She`s a beautiful Italian who always prays to God to give her the courage to speak to the man she fancies and is never quite able to do.

Video

A fullframe video transfer is the order of the day with this kind of film. Italian for Beginners was shot on BetaSP so it`s digital origins are preserved and effortlessly reproduced on disc. As expected, there was absolutely no sign of dirt or compression. However it`s not perfect with the odd over exposed shot. Colours look well balanced and detail is good.

Audio

In keeping with Dogme95 tradition, there`s a very clear Dolby Digital 2.0 soundtrack with absolutely no frills. The dialogue is clear and perfectly understandable, if you speak Danish that is.

Features

Easy to navigate static menus with just:
• Trailer (2:02) - Measly film spoiling trailer.

This UK disc is missing features from the loaded Danish version which includes a director commentary and other extras. The only downside to the Danish DVD is that it doesn`t have English subtitles. There`s always one niggle, isn`t there?

Italian for Beginners has English subtitles and comes packed in a standard keep case.

Conclusion

The first thing that struck me about Italian for Beginners is how refreshing a film it is. The story isn`t really original and is more akin to a romantic soap opera. We mingle with six central characters that all pair off by the end of the film leaving no loose ends to tie. It`s a little contrived in that way, but it`s still enjoyable.

The Dogme style is the element which I find adds to the film`s story. Things such as the hand-held camera and no music to cue your emotions really do make a difference. There`s no music in the film either, only location recorded sound, so it complies strictly with Dogme rules and you notice the absence of such things. The documentary style adds a realistic veneer making this film very easy to watch.

And what of the script and performances? There`s nothing complicated in the scripting. We give equal time to all six actors and go back and forth with ease as their lives intertwine. There are no Hollywood stars here to add any predictability so anything goes. This is a well acted and enjoyable film. Rental recommended.