Gabriele Muccino
Gli anni più belli

Although I am not a fan of the "Romance" genre, I am very intrigued by Italian cinema of the last 15 years.

Probably the film that made me reconsider the national cinematic landscape after the lamented laughs of the sexy comedy of the '80s was "Romanzo criminale" from 2005, which, in my opinion, was able to express an interesting story with high-level stylistic codes.

I have also re-evaluated the aspect related to the cast: Who would have ever expected to appreciate an actor like Kim Rossi Stuart, whom I had so far considered simply a second-rate actor relegated to sentimental films for teenagers longing for syrupy tears?

In short, in my view, Italian cinema, especially the "fresh" and indie one from the last 15 years, has given us many quality works. It has also provided new opportunities to initially underrated actors. Besides the aforementioned Kim, I can mention Riccardo Scamarcio and Marco Giallini in this regard. Artists who, to date, are truly capable of having a strong impact on the films they interpret, in my opinion.

In addition to these, I cannot help but personally commend the immense Pierfrancesco Favino, who has managed to make himself appreciated in every role he has played and in films that are really different from one another. A great professional.

So, after this initial digression, I will talk about the movie, "Gli anni più belli."

While recognizing Muccino's ability as a director, I never expected I would one day dedicate a few minutes to writing a review of one of his films.

And I speak to you as a fan of somewhat "dark", criminal, and raw films.

"Gli anni più belli" is not a romance film, it is a punch to the gut that focuses on the nature of relationships between person and person.

In a screenplay that effectively hops back and forth in time, over the span of forty years, the film shows us not so much the HUMAN VALUE of the protagonists, but their ABILITY to be consistent with what they believed themselves to be.

It's a film that delves into the miseries of the characters and shows the consequences over time, without trying to find a way to give the audience a happy ending and at the same time without trying to create monsters to feed to the viewers.

A work like this can, in my opinion, be considered part of what I would define as a "neo-neo-realism" of these years. Congratulations to Muccino for having tried and, in my view, for having succeeded in a truly effective way.