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Amazon.co.uk Review
The winner of a Silver Bear at the Berlin Film Festival, Italian for Beginners is the first film made under the Dogme rules of austerity (no artificial lighting, no extraneous music, no imported props, etc) to be directed by a woman, Danish director Lone Scherfig. It's set in a small Danish town where half-a-dozen awkward misfits (the newly arrived pastor, a recently bereaved hairdresser, an ex-footballer turned abrasive bar manager, a put-upon baker's assistant and so on) are drawn together by the shared activity of an Italian-language evening-class and--yes, you guessed it--start coming out of their shells and finding love.
This is a gentle, good-natured film, full of quirky dialogue and unforced humour. Scherfig derives a good deal of amusement from watching the gloomy, buttoned-up Danes gradually relaxing and expanding under the influence of their improved linguistic skills, and reaching out for happiness. (As usual in North European cinema, Italian equals everything that's spontaneous, life-loving and sexy.) True, the pro-togetherness message is banal, and the whole film's altogether a little too pat, especially in the final neat pairing-off and the way a couple of obstructive parents helpfully contrive to die just when they need to. Still, the freshness of the largely improvised performances, and Scherfig's affectionate regard for her characters, make for a film that's hard to dislike.
On the DVD: Italian for Beginners has no extras except the theatrical trailer. The transfer faithfully reproduces the mainly hand-held, digital video quality of the original. --Philip Kemp
Special Features
1.33 Full Screen
4.3
Danish
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Danish
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Theatrical Trailer
English
4.3
Danish
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Danish
Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround
Theatrical Trailer
English
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is one of my favourite films of recent years. The characters are all sympathetic and all vulnerable, astray, lost.
They come together in the evening-class Italian lessons, which provide escape and, in a limited way, friendship. It all moves towards a gently joyous ending, but there are hard moments on the way. In places it is very funny, but its dominant characteristic is tenderness of an absolutely unsentimental kind. The dogme approach allows a matter-of-fact understatement which adds to the film's power, and the result is totally compelling.
They come together in the evening-class Italian lessons, which provide escape and, in a limited way, friendship. It all moves towards a gently joyous ending, but there are hard moments on the way. In places it is very funny, but its dominant characteristic is tenderness of an absolutely unsentimental kind. The dogme approach allows a matter-of-fact understatement which adds to the film's power, and the result is totally compelling.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
As other reviewers have noted, this film was made according to the "Dogme" school which forbears the use of camera trickery and special effects. As a result I found that I focussed more on the acting and became more involved with the characters than one ususally does when watching a DVD. The whole experience was a bit more like going to the theatre than the cinema.
So its just as well that the acting is first class. Particularly noteworthy, for me, were Lars Kaalund who plays Halv-Finn (a troubled hot-tempered waiter with an aptitude for Italian) and Ann Joergensen, who plays Karen, (a lonely hairdresser with a sick but difficult mother).
As for the plot, I agree fully with the other reviewers who point out that towards the end it all gets a little too neat and saccharine. At this point, in my view it becomes less believeable in the light of all that has taken place before. It all starts to go down hill in this regard when the action shifts from Denmark to Venice.
But before that point the story is very well crafted and the various characters all point up different aspects of human relationships which will speak to everyone in their own way. Thus we see difficult relationships between parents and (adult) children (Karen and Olympia), work place relationships (Halv-Finn/Guilia, Halv-Finn/Joergen & Joergen/Giulia) and male friendships (Joergen/Halv-Finn). The latter, to my mind, provides one of the most poignant moments in the film, when Joergen attempts to speak to Halv-Finn about his own impotence.
Being a new Pastor in a difficult semi-rural parish is probably a situation which will resonate less with most people. Nonetheless, it is this character that provides some of the most amusing and touching scenes in the film, especially his interactions with the female parish assistant.
Anyone who speaks Danish will notice some rather infelicitous translations in the sub-titles but overall I don't think those really matter. Its an enjoyable film with some wonderful acting that is rather badly let down at the end by the plot. But worth seeing nonetheless.
So its just as well that the acting is first class. Particularly noteworthy, for me, were Lars Kaalund who plays Halv-Finn (a troubled hot-tempered waiter with an aptitude for Italian) and Ann Joergensen, who plays Karen, (a lonely hairdresser with a sick but difficult mother).
As for the plot, I agree fully with the other reviewers who point out that towards the end it all gets a little too neat and saccharine. At this point, in my view it becomes less believeable in the light of all that has taken place before. It all starts to go down hill in this regard when the action shifts from Denmark to Venice.
But before that point the story is very well crafted and the various characters all point up different aspects of human relationships which will speak to everyone in their own way. Thus we see difficult relationships between parents and (adult) children (Karen and Olympia), work place relationships (Halv-Finn/Guilia, Halv-Finn/Joergen & Joergen/Giulia) and male friendships (Joergen/Halv-Finn). The latter, to my mind, provides one of the most poignant moments in the film, when Joergen attempts to speak to Halv-Finn about his own impotence.
Being a new Pastor in a difficult semi-rural parish is probably a situation which will resonate less with most people. Nonetheless, it is this character that provides some of the most amusing and touching scenes in the film, especially his interactions with the female parish assistant.
Anyone who speaks Danish will notice some rather infelicitous translations in the sub-titles but overall I don't think those really matter. Its an enjoyable film with some wonderful acting that is rather badly let down at the end by the plot. But worth seeing nonetheless.
16 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
Italian for Beginners is the most recent film in the danish Dogma series. While it retains the seasick camera work, bleak atmosphere and dark, somtimes even morbid sense of humour so typical for the Dogma films, this one is, in its core, full of warmth and humanity. The characters are sensitively and lovingly portrayed, highlighting the dignity of seemingly downbeaten no-hopers. In the blossoming romances there is none of the dull inevitability, so often found in other romance films, but the developing relationships are so closely portrayed that we entirely understand the characters' actions and feelings, unpredictable though they may be at times. Even the smaller characters are superbly acted and come across vividly. Somehow there seem to be no extras in this film. Whoever the camera focuses on, is close, even familiar to the viewer. Despite the apparent focus on romance, the film also deals with difficult parent-child relationships, with friendship, disability, sickness and death. All of these issues are, in keeping with the Dogma tradition, dealt with in an unglossy, stark and very honest manner. Nevertheless, warmth and dignity emerges from even the darkest scenes and one is left with a sense that though life may be cruel at times, it cannot defeat the love people feel for each other. It is certainly an unconventional romance film, but the best I have ever seen.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Thoroughly enjoyable
I really enjoyed this film. It was human without being sentimental and the characters were carefully drawn. An uplifting experience.
Published 1 month ago by bonycrab
Minus five stars
This was utterly dour and dreary. I had to award this DVD one star in order for it to be displayed - I really wanted to award it minus five stars or at least no stars at all. Read more
Published 23 months ago by S. Selwood
Italian wine of dogme vintage
This was not Hollywood-lite as a reviewer asserts,it's the viking pursuit of sunnier climes, using the metaphor of a language class in Italian for the pursuit of relationships. Read more
Published on 14 Mar 2010 by technoguy
Italian for beginners.
This product has a misleading title. Italian for Beginners DVD makes you think that you will learn to hear/speak Italian with the use of it. Unfortunately it is a film in Danish!
Published on 11 Nov 2009 by Unfortunate
Not laugh a minute, but a great film!
Richard Curtis fans beware: don't be lured into thinking this a lightweight romantic comedy. It's quite dark at points but it really warms as the film progresses and really gives... Read more
Published on 4 Feb 2009 by Michael Zand
Excellent!
This is one of the best romcoms I've ever seen (and I have seen quite a few!). An ensemble film, with all actors just perfect for their roles. Read more
Published on 19 Nov 2008 by A. Minasyan
Bittersweet story about lonely people
This film was billed as a comedy but, at least at first, there aren't many laughs. It starts with the separate, rather sad stories of six lonely people with troubled lives... Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2008 by Bluebell
Tremendously dull
I got a bit further than another viewer but not much, after maybe 35-40 minutes of absolutely nothing happening but dull dull dull conversations, I stopped watching before I died... Read more
Published on 8 Dec 2007 by Joe
A special memory
I have fond memories of first watching Italian for beginners five years ago. This film remains one of my favourites and always makes me feel connected when I feel lost. Read more
Published on 26 Oct 2007 by Pineapple
Depressing but insightful
Quirky this film certainly is, and it's also a rigorous example of the Dogme genre - but feelgood it isn't. Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2007 by medstudent
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