Movies Sharing: La Finestra di Fronte 2003 (Facing Window)

First of all, this is my first experience of watching Italian movie. It really recalls me when I had a wonderful backpack trip in Italy. I missed the places and foods so much; especially the Italiano Gelato is the best of the world!

The story line of La Finestra di Fronte (Facing Window) is relatively similar with an American movie called Unfaithful, which played by Richard Gere, Diane Lane and Oliver Martinez. Similarly, both married women feel dull about their marriage and involved an unexpected infidelity relationship. Giovanna, an Italian woman who is very dissatisfy about her husband Filippo cannot finds a secure job. One day, they had met an old man, Simone who lost his memory. Thus, Filippo decided to give a hand and let the man stay in their house. Initially, Giovanna feels irritates with this old man.

But day by day, Giovanna begins to befriend with Simone. Giovanna noticed that Simone has a code tattoo on his arm, which symbolised he was one of the Jewish survivor from the WW2 in 1943. While taking care of Simone, it also creates another “opportunity” where Giovanna had met her hot neighbour Lorenzo, who stayed opposite block of Giovanna. Lorenzo is totally different with Filippo, who is mature, hot, singled and works securely in a bank. Giovanna would never expects her perfect man - Lorenzo is actually falls in love with her crazily. Thus, Giovanno was in the dilemma of choosing either these two men.

Lorenzo looks so hot with this spectacles! I gonna get one! LOL

If you haven’t watch this movie please do not read the last two paragraphs, I had revealed the ending. LOL. Of course, if you want to know in advance you may read it!

However, Simone also played an important role in flow of the story. Finally, Simone recalls his miserable memories, where he lost his love one during the WW2. For the sake of saving other lives, Simone made a painful decision to save many people as he can before Nazis take the brutal massacre on Jewish. In fact, Simone’s past story has been spiritually influenced Giovanna’s life as well. Whereby, Giovanna chosen her ‘reality’ as she realised that she should be obligated as role of a mother and wife in the same time. Instead of changing outside the world (Giovanna always looks outside through the window before sleep, that actually symbolised she yearns for a new and better life), Giovanna changes her perception of not being so demanding about her husband. Rather, she turned a new angle by pursuing her dream as she actually has the talent in making cakes. Hence, Simone’s past story has an indirect impact on Giovanna’s decision making.

When Giovanna looks through the window from Lorenzo's house, she recalls back what she used to be in her house.

We always used to say that love and relationship is the heaviest component in our life. These two characters, Simone and Giovanna have been highlighted by a thread of similar sadness, which concealed their unexpressed relationship. Simone has a homosexual relationship, whereas Giovanna was unfaithful to her husband. Throughout the whole story, both of them portrayed the melancholy characters, who only can bury these pensiveness memories in their deepest hearts.  

MOVIES SHARING: About a boy (2002)

Will (Hugh Grant) is living a single man in an island, an isolated and solitary man. Thanks to his deceased father’s royalty who composed a Christmas song that enough to support Will rest of his life. He spends daily time for watching TV, smoking, drinking, eating meal, playing pool and sleep. He never gets a stable job or either a firm relationship, as he doesn’t wants to commit anything. In order words, he just wasted his time for living 38 years with nothing!

On the other hand, a cute 12 years old boy called Marcus, who was a freak in school. Marcus is a highly self-professed boy, that’s why he has becomes the target for bullying. In addition, Marcus was born in a single-parent family with a depressed mother who even tries to kill herself. But, this factor never caused Marcus into grief. Optimistically, he tries to do everything best to make his mother happy, so that his mother never commits suicide again. Marcus is an extraordinary kid, who do thing brilliantly and uniquely, by compared with those ordinary kids.

Later on, through a special circumstance has connected these two different roles come together. Actually two of them are freaks, just in different contexts. Will’s single man island has opened the door for Marcus to walk in, who has changes the way of Will viewing his life. Unconsciously, Will becomes more honest to himself (in past he lies a lot), self-disclosure as facing with people, and self-exposure to mingle more people until he has meets his soul-mate. Marcus has influences and tremendously changes Will’s life in 180 degree.

Will never feels lonely anymore who watching movie for the long whole night and drinking makes himself drunk for every past Christmas Eve. Instead, now, Will is having a warm and blissful Christmas celebration with Marcus family and his new partner’s family.   

   

I always believe that kid possesses the most purest and honest heart that can actually influence our perspective towards our life. Try to talk more with kid, you may learn something from them, or how simple and optimistic they perceive the world, not as complex as what we expect. 

MOVIES SHARING: Prime (2005)

How you actually define love? Does love must always go through many obstacles so that it only can be strengthen? A rebellious teen couple who craving to be together and ignore their parent’s foresight; or a homo-relation couple that can endure the society’s discrimination towards their relationship? As general philosophy, love is always blind. Love is an interaction, and attraction between human’s emotion contact, which should not be in the limit of ages, races, genders, skin colours or even physically disorder.   

            Regarding this movie, Prime, which portrayed a lovely couple struggle in the dilemma of huge gap of age and society perspective.  A divorced lady, Rafi (Uma Thurman) has falls in love with a young boy, David (Bryan Greenburg), who is a painter and only 23 years old. Rafi would routinely visit her psycho-therapist, Dr. Lisa (Meryl Streep) for consulting her personal love relation. Lisa was consistently encouraging Rafi to take a try for the new relationship as overcome her fear of intimacy.  So coincidently but unfortunately for Lisa, who realised that Rafi’s boyfriend was her only son, David.

As a tradition mother, who hopes that one day her son will get a Jewish wife and definitely not a woman that older than her son 14 years old. Ethically, as a professional therapist should draws the clear line between her personal issue and her professionalism. Therefore, this relationship has been consequently becomes more complicated. However, regardless how their intense affection in this relationship, this couple has realises that huge age gap and diverse background has actually arises many conflicts.

However, the ending turnout was a sad ending. But, I do love the ending! When especially David looks Rafi through the restaurant’s window. Their expressions seem have experienced a vigorous relationship but separated. Rafi smiles with her deep red lip, which has reflected their emotional affection has become mature and grown. Even same as David, who takes the courage to face Rafi, and leaves the restaurant, where outside is a snowy and freezing winter.  With disseminating a gloomy song, I wish you love.