Giorni e Nuvole (Days and Clouds)

This Silvio Soldini is a tense drama that most American viewers and critics tend to view it with a story about difficult times in a marriage; not surprisingly I did not see it like that nor did most Italian viewers and critics. Then perhaps if Americans could see it now that America is in recession, they could understand more this amazing story.

The movie tells a story about a wealthy and middle-aged Genoa husband and wife that have to give up everything because economic recession and both of them are not prepared to downsize their lives and their lifestyle. Michele, the husband, hides for months that he lost his job while trying without success to find a new one similar to the one he had; when debt is rapidly accumulating he finally tells Elsa that they have to sell their comfortable apartment, their boat and whatever else, and move into a smaller lower middle class apartment. From that moment they and you -the viewer- will go into a smart written, too real and tense downhill with the couple resisting to realize that the life they had before is over and they need to start again.

The movie has fantastic cinematography and an ambiance that intensifies the tension with the ambiance changing as the couple situation moves; but the best part is to be able to see marvelous good performances by Margherita Buy and Antonio Albanese as both make you believe everything that’s happening to them in the most outstandingly way. Bravo!

If you read the blog you know that Margherita Buy won a Nastro D’Argento for Best Actress at the 2008 Nastri D’Argento, the Silver George for Best Actress at the 2008 Moscow International Film Festival, the David di Donatello for Best Actress at the 2008 edition awards and she truly deserves it and many more accolades as she really transforms herself from a bourgeois into a workingwoman in front of you. The movie was also nominated as Best Italian Movie in the Nastri D’Argento and the David di Donatello awards; also got a Special Mention at the 2007 Cinema Rome fest.

It is an easy to watch movie with a very difficult theme that not often is portrayed in cinema, but is one movie that I highly recommend to everyone that loves excellent European dramas.

Enjoy!!!