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| Images Courtesy of Oscilloscope |
Being
nineteen years old is a tumultuous time, even for the most well-adjusted
young adults. After passing the magic mile marker of eighteen and being
jettisoned into "adulthood", the subsequent year is a purgatory of
maturity and confusion. Giovanni Tortorici's debut feature film, Diciannove
explores this wasteland of academia, sexual awakenings, and hip hop fueled
nightclubs with humor, sadness, and uncertainty, core principles that mirror
the uncertainty of the age period.
Leonardo
leaves the privilege and culture of his home in Palermo to study economics at a
university in London. What follows is a montage of experiences,
reckonings, and acceptances of hard truths. Tortorici also wrote the
script which uses dialogue as a means to construct a prison of doubt around
Leonardo. Manfredi Marini's central performance is the foundation, with
his charisma and searing vulnerability highlighting Leonardo's plight. At
its core this is a story about accepting one's self and recognizing that being
an adult is often about being uncertain. Finding one's place, especially
when you are still figuring out who you are, who you are attracted to, and what
you want to do with your life, is challenging for adults of all ages, and
Tortorici focuses on this fact throughout the narrative.
Massimiliano
Kuvellier's muted cinematography is perhaps the strongest element of the
production. The scenes of Italy, particularly in the first act are bright
and bold while London is filmed in the dark, as if Leonardo has travelled to
another world. Tortorici's direction is organic, allowing his cast to act
organically and splicing in animation and titles cards to signify Leonardo's
existential sojourn. Tortorici was a second director to Luca Guadadigno
(who also produced) on We Are Who We Are, and his influence is felt from
almost the first frame, as this is another exceptionally well made story about
an outsider looking to find a way to be acceptable in the "normal"
world.
Coming to theaters July 25th, Diciannove is an excellent debut effort
with a lot on its mind. While it does not really solve anything or
conclude with a clear resolution, it has a lot to say about the time we spend
in between childhood and adulthood, and that is the entire point of the
experience, allowing the viewer to take from it what they will. Fans of
foreign cinema and queer cinema will find much to enjoy; however, even casual
moviegoers will find a lot to mine from Leonardo's experiences.
--Kyle
Jonathan