Adolescent love in a film that also manages to portray the social restlessness of a crucial moment in history
A surprisingly pleasant romantic film that clearly depicts contemporary youth during an important moment in history, giving a glimpse of the already present thirst for freedom that will soon be in full flow come 1968. Not that this is a political film: far from it. After all, not everyone who was a teenager in the late ’60s spent those years behind barricades. Without sacrificing any of the enjoyment, the talented Massimo Franciosa (more famous for his many excellent screenplays, from Poveri ma belli to Rocco e i suoi fratelli) manages to piece together a film that almost imperceptibly works on a psychological level. The story of two lovers who at first glance appear completely incompatible could be that of a thousand other films: the boy, still mollycoddled by a protective middle-class environment, the girl, raised in far less hospitable circumstances and full of energy. It is a strangely illusive film: on one hand, at ease with the tradition of harmless romantic youth comedy; on the other hand, it is set on the brink of a world already shaken by new pleasures and new anxieties.
A simple friendship between two high school students gradually turns to love. He is the son of a businessman and a mummy’s boy; she has lost both her parents and lives with her easy-going aunt. After splitting up, they meet again during their final years exams. He passes with flying colours, whereas she will have to repeat the entire year. Since neither of them will have to resit exams, they decide to spend the summer together.
Adolescent love in a film that also manages to portray the social restlessness of a crucial moment in history
A surprisingly pleasant romantic film that clearly depicts contemporary youth during an important moment in history, giving a glimpse of the already present thirst for freedom that will soon be in full flow come 1968. Not that this is a political film: far from it. After all, not everyone who was a teenager in the late ’60s spent those years behind barricades. Without sacrificing any of the enjoyment, the talented Massimo Franciosa (more famous for his many excellent screenplays, from Poveri ma belli to Rocco e i suoi fratelli) manages to piece together a film that almost imperceptibly works on a psychological level. The story of two lovers who at first glance appear completely incompatible could be that of a thousand other films: the boy, still mollycoddled by a protective middle-class environment, the girl, raised in far less hospitable circumstances and full of energy. It is a strangely illusive film: on one hand, at ease with the tradition of harmless romantic youth comedy; on the other hand, it is set on the brink of a world already shaken by new pleasures and new anxieties.
A simple friendship between two high school students gradually turns to love. He is the son of a businessman and a mummy’s boy; she has lost both her parents and lives with her easy-going aunt. After splitting up, they meet again during their final years exams. He passes with flying colours, whereas she will have to repeat the entire year. Since neither of them will have to resit exams, they decide to spend the summer together.
