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Rating: I bet that many of you have encountered at least once "Three meters above the sky" or its acronym "3msc", in all the various forms this phenomenon has taken since it first burst onto the scene in 2003.
What started as a "clandestine" book (passed around photocopied by the kids in Rome), evolved into a publication by Feltrinelli, later spreading into every kind of possible gadget such as diaries, t-shirts, bandanas, "enriched" reissues of the book, etc., etc... could a movie be missing? Thus giving the final blow, Luca Lucini directs the eponymous work, which fits fully into the genre of movies I call "teen flicks" ("Jack Frusciante Has Left the Band", "The Apple Time" and all those little operas that Italia Uno and Canale 5 never fail to offer us in the afternoon), but for some mysterious reason (given the "slightly" overused and recycled plot) it explodes like a poorly programmed bomb, smashing viewer records and launching the brooding gaze (!!!) of Riccardo Scamarcio into the celluloid Olympus, with inevitable throngs of screaming teenage girls in tow. I'm not here to discuss the book, nor the movie, not even the marketing genius that Federico Moccia turned out to be (someone who understood everything about the society we live in), but the soundtrack that accompanies the film, unexpectedly charming and well-assembled.
Let's first say that the main track is the one we find at track number 3, a piece that now identifies in the imagination this film, the protagonist, and even the book, for a strange case of visual-sound association: it's "Gabriel" by the Lamb, already known for being included in the eighth volume of the lounge-chillout compilation "Café del Mar". A wonderful piece (already heard in advertisements), full of atmospheres and suggestion, with the almost ethereal voice of the singer suggesting images of beaches, exotic sunsets, and minds free from any weight or thought... for the rest, the tracklist satisfies everyone: present is the nerd-teen song that is both misunderstood and wistful (Tiziano Ferro with "Sere Nere", in the film in an apt instrumental version), the techno-trance track for club-kids with mohawks and wedges is present, and the voice of what's "the Radio Chaos DJ" in the film who reels off one by one the famous phrases that enrich the memory-books of the aforementioned nerd-teens.
A mention for "Nina" by Comedy of Life, a fresh and fun track that has the merit of staying in your head ("Her name in Ni-na, she's dancing like a prima balleri-na") without bothering like the classic hits, and also for "He's simple, he's dumb, he's the pilot" by Grandaddy (it's not only the title that is long, the whole song is almost 9 minutes long). The latter surprises with its uniqueness, as it starts along the lines of "Gabriel" (chillout atmosphere, very relaxed), subsequently, the drumbeat enters, giving a sweet but decisive rhythm. The entire length of the track is played on this contrast, enriched with synths, which is truly surprising (in the film you only hear a few moments, and they're always the same, by the way).
The film and CD close with "E se ne va" by Le Vibrazioni, with unusual indie references for the poppish trio. Among the music composed for the film and performed by the Rome Orchestra, I point out the most beautiful ones "Beyond your darkest dreaming", "For the first time (kissing you)", and "Il lungo addio". All similar to each other, where a sweet piano composes a melody that perfectly matches the melancholic tone of the moments they appear in the film, yet without sounding out of place in a decontextualized listen.
The greatest merit of this soundtrack perhaps is precisely this: it is a mix of sounds that without a doubt perform well in the function for which they are born, that is to serve as a support to images, but they don't do badly even when taken and played on a separate CD. Certainly, no claims of any kind, but altogether this soundtrack has something enjoyable that manages to live independently from the film (not exactly a masterpiece). It's certainly not on the level of milestones like "Flashdance", "Up Where We Belong" or "I Don't Wanna Miss a Thing", but it's not to be discarded either if you're looking for a background that doesn't make you fall asleep or keep you too awake!
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