Italian for Beginners (2000)

This movie is the proof that the world is becoming a sick and dumb place

Fantastic!

Clever and entertaining enough to recommend even to members of the 1%

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

What an evening well spent watching this film. It's poignant, touching, funny. It explores themes that are not always easy to talk about on the big screen: euthanasia for one, impotence for another. It also touches the tragedy of losing someone close to you. The cast is very good, all six of them, but especially Anette Stovelbaeck, Ann Eleonara Jorgensen and Peter Gantzler. And Sara Indrio Jensen is superb! Too bad she hasn't played in another movie. The dogme style goes well with this story. But one must get pass the first 10 minutes or so during which the hand-held camera can make you a bit dizzy! Seen at home, in Toronto, on March 25th, 2006.80/100 (***)

"Italian for Beginners (Italiensk for begyndere)" is yet another of the 2001 movies for grown-ups about adults dealing with death. It shows how death in the family leads to loneliness, though not as light-hearted as indicated by the preview trailer.It is a poignant slice-of-life of a Danish town of misfits, in the earthy, gritty manner of "The Full Monty" or "Billy Elliott."Proudly flashing its minimalist Dogme 95 certificate (hence the lack of illustrative soundtrack songs), it has a warm-hearted understanding of the spectrum of human foibles.Here the woe-be-gone come together, improbably enough, at an Italian class in a local community center, with all that learning a romance language implies. At least that's what I could get out of it despite the older ladies behind me out for a matinée who decided that a sub-titled movie entitled them to talk loudly throughout, as well as kick my seat.(originally written 2/24/2002)

I'm a fan of the Scandinavian cinema and especially of the Dogme-films. I like their way of filming an honest story in a believable way without too much extra's. I'm sure that the average viewer will not like it at all, because they just don't understand what it is all about. You don't get one murder after the other, no big car chases, no extreme violence, no gore... It's the characters and the story around them that has to save the movie, and that's something most people don't seem to get. But when you are like me, you watch several movies a week and keep an open mind towards all kinds of movies, other than the average Hollywood blockbusters, than this is definitely a form of cinema that you have to try.The story in "Italiensk for begyndere" or "Italian for Beginners" as the movie is called in English, evolves around the lives of several inhabitants of a quiet community somewhere in Denmark. All characters meet each other during a beginner's course in Italian and use it as a way to meet new people in the hope to forget about their own personal problems, to find new friends and - when possible - to find love.If I'm honest, than I must say that I didn't like the movie all that much at first. I'm already familiar with Dogme-films, but this one really looked very amateurish and awfully edited and filmed, even for a Dogme film. It even made me doubt if I would be able to keep watching it until the end. But I decided to stay with it it and I must say that I'm glad that I did. The movie has some other qualities that only show when you stay with it long enough. The story for instance is nice. It combines some humor with good drama and with heartwarming romance. And no, it never gets syrupy or over-the-top. It all feels genuine. Another positive aspect, next to the interesting story, is the acting. Even though I've never heard of most of them, all actors did a very nice job, making me wish to see more of their work.In the end this is a nice and heartwarming movie, but I wouldn't call it the best Dogme-movie ever. That certainly doesn't mean that it isn't worth a watch, but I'm convinced that even the fans of Dogme will have to agree with me that it looked quite amateurish. That's also the reason why I believe this isn't the best movie for people who aren't familiar with this kind of movies. If this is the first Dogme-movie that they will see, chances are big that they will never try another one. Still, I had a good time with this movie and that's why I give it a 7/10.

Director Lone Scherfig has proved that she's able to direct a movie based on the Dogme '95 concept first originated by Lars Von Trier and Thomas Vinterberg in 1995. It's a simple story told through the eyes of 6 lonely persons in a small town on the rural coast of Jutland. What binds them together is the common interest for the Italian language they all participate during an evening course.One might think that it's a common love story, but the character building clearly proves that it's not uncommon for all age groups to have all kinds of personally burdens such as the reverend Wredmann who has lost his belief in God as he has lost his wife to God. Another such character would be Olympia who has almost given up all hope of ever being able to function as human being because of fetus damages.The primary reason for watching a picture like this one the developing of characters and how they bond together even though personalities of Karen and Hal-Finn are quite disturbing with Hal-Finn being a really imbecile. This is the only place where "Italiensk for begyndere" starts to lack some ingenuity but in the end it's only minor complain. In the end if you're into foreign pictures and especially endearing dramas then go and see "Italiensk for begyndere" if you got some time to spare.7/10