movie rec

[floatingleaf]

Wasn't planning on posting again today, but I just saw the best movie ever. Seriously, it's gonna be on my private Top Ten list - if there ever was one. Okay, maybe it would be Top Twenty or something... not that it matters anyway - some movies just make my heart stop with the overwhelming truth and beauty of them, and this one certainly did. I just picked it at random at the nearest Blockbuster's, because I felt like watching something I haven't seen before... I never expected it to be a masterpiece. I am still shaken from the sheer amount of squealing with laughter AND bawling my eyes out - occasionally at the same time. Just... there are no words. *dies*

Okay. Now the details - just in case anyone else wants to see it too.;) It's called His Secret Life, and it's an Italian movie by a Turkish director, Ferzan Ozpetek. Anyway, it takes place in Italy and most of the cast is Italian, but there are Turkish accents as well. And the plot is seemingly cliche: a wife loses a husband in a car accident, then finds out he had a lover. A male lover. Of course there are a hundred different ways to deal with such a premise, but I certainly never expected the film to be so deep. So profoundly touching. So crazy, and yet so totally believable. In the way that life is UNbelievable sometimes... if you know what I mean.;) It has some hot slashy action in it as well - but I almost feel like not mentioning that at all, because that's not what really matters, and it's not what the movie is about. Just a bonus.;) Oh, and if you want a clearer idea of how this movie feels, think All About My Mother by Almodovar. Just the same amount of comedy AND tragedy, pain and joy, death and life, weaved seamlessly together (not to mention that it has all sorts of lovely "freaks" in it as well ;). I never thought it was actually possible to outdo Almodovar at that... but this film almost does.:)

Comments

[illuins-lair.livejournal.com]

(this is where one of the pajama buttons went to hell I think)

WOMAN.
I have never encountered anyone who knew about this movie.
I´ve forced people to watch it, including my whole family.
I went to see it 3 times at the cinema.
I´ve been trying to tell people about the awesomeness of this film.
It´s one of my dearest movies. Ever.

(I think I should scream "have-my-babies!" now)

You see; I saw a while back Stefano Accorsi on your interests and I have wanted to ask you about that because not a lot of people know of him and this movie is SO significant for me that I really went SQUEEE!!!! and wanted to ask if you heard of it. And then I found this post and.. had like a CAPSLOCK!ORGASM.
Seriously, I´ve never talked to anyone knowing this film existed. It´s just a movie, I know. But it´s... well, it represents a whole other era in my lfe. One where I was slightly happy somehow.

The first time I saw it I was with my boyfriend and felt kind of awkward since he never understood my fascination for gay-themed stuff while I sort of combusted from bliss and died right there in the seat. LOL
Oh, it was really very controversial at the time, Uhm.. threesome!hellooo *faints* and yet the movie was such a great success even in Italy and of course my gay friends were extatic about it, and I was like; Ok, OMG!I-gotta-see-that-movie-again!
The other 2 times I went by myself btw and died every second. In peace. =)

Later, everyone I have shown it to has really liked it, I think because it´s one of those films containing impressions who last and something with the scenery that...stays, I don´t know, it´s an intresting movie from a lot of aspects. But no one I think ever understood my fascination for it.

For nostalgic reasons, it was also recorded close to where I lived at the time. And at the end the clip from WorldPride 2000, which was just. Yeah.

When I found this post from you... well, you can probably imagine. I think my heart may have stopped for a few seconds.

Ferzan Ozpetek is such a brilliant director.. I also thought no one ever heard of him and OMG I GUESS I WAS WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!

"Hamam" and there´s one I´m still looking for after all these years and right now for my life can´t remember the name of bcause I´m all GAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, as you can see - this was going to be a very coherent post. ADSKLjfalölgfjgÖLJGGKLJAaKLÖGJAKLLKÖ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[floatingleaf.livejournal.com]

I have never encountered anyone who knew about this movie.

I think I met a total of TWO people on LJ who have seen it - and at least one of them was Italian.:)

I´ve forced people to watch it, including my whole family.

I've forced two friends to watch it - my family wouldn't appreciate it quite as much as it deserves, I'm afraid.:P

I went to see it 3 times at the cinema.

I totally missed it at the cinema, but I own the DVD AND the soundtrack.:)

The first time I saw it I was with my boyfriend and felt kind of awkward since he never understood my fascination for gay-themed stuff

Well... boyfriends don't usually have much comprehension for that sorta thing. Or that's what I'm hearing, anyway.;)

it was also recorded close to where I lived at the time

So you lived in Italy when this movie came out?... *is curious*

Ferzan Ozpetek is such a brilliant director

I've seen two other movies by him: Hamam, I think (the American title was Turkish Bath), and Facing Windows. They were both good, but not nearly as good as this one.

And I love your "very coherent posts". <3333333 ;D

[illuins-lair.livejournal.com]

I own the DVD AND the soundtrack
I thought you might =) Me too. (love the Due Destini by Tiromancino at the end)

boyfriends don't usually have much comprehension for that sorta thing
You see, I learn things backwards.. Back then I was initially naive enough to even bring up the subject since we used to hang out a lot at gayplaces, but I honestly don´t know what I was thinking, him being a catholic was not really the best way to understand things. I sort of constantly make the mistake to assume that other people understand me, in particular catholic boyfriends. =D

So you lived in Italy when this movie came out?
Yes, I lived in Rome for 2 years. It seems a billion years ago now though (99-01) but I think I still find myself more at "home" there than in Sweden =)

Harem Suaré (Last Harem)was the one I couldn´t remember the name of.
Facing windows must be La finestra di fronte which I haven´t seen either.
Yeah The turkish bath. I have it but also think it wasn´t as good as I expected.

Le fate ignoranti has this joy under the grief, and those many unexpected fresh turns. It´s still one of my favourite happy!films even a decade later.

[floatingleaf.livejournal.com]

love the Due Destini by Tiromancino at the end

My favorites are the theme song, Birdenbire, and Fatato Mambo.:)

I sort of constantly make the mistake to assume that other people understand me, in particular catholic boyfriends.

It's not your fault - you haven't been exposed to Catholicism since childhood, so you couldn't possibly have known how much it fucks with the brain.:/ I was never Catholic myself, but pretty much everyone around me was for most of my life, so I do have a concept of what it can do to people.;) I know quite a few very sexually liberated women, for example, who are nonetheless still struggling with the guilt they were brought up to feel about their bodily needs. It's a massive topic, and I'm not sure I really want to get too deep into it right now.:P

I lived in Rome for 2 years. It seems a billion years ago now though (99-01) but I think I still find myself more at "home" there than in Sweden

There is SOMETHING about the Mediterranean that really affects the soul, isn't there?... I felt immediately so "at home" in Greece I was shocked by it. The landscape, the music, the atmosphere - it all affected me so profoundly I wanted to cry. I never could explain this to anyone, but I KNOW I must have been Greek in another life or something. *puzzles*

Harem Suaré (Last Harem)was the one I couldn´t remember the name of.

I think I've seen the trailer to this one and was very intrigued - but I couldn't find the movie itself.:(

Le fate ignoranti has this joy under the grief

Yes! It's the essence of life, imo. How happiness and pain are never far away from each other... <333

[illuins-lair.livejournal.com]

Birdenbire, and Fatato Mambo *hearts & hums*

I know quite a few very sexually liberated women, for example, who are nonetheless still struggling with the guilt they were brought up to feel about their bodily needs.
This makes me sad and frustrated, because it reminds me of how different the life-concept can present itself to people depending on the environment wherein they live.
I want to believe that everyone has a choice. I sort of naively nurture the hope that everyone can break free of bonds, but perhaps it´s only partially true. The whole Guilt-concept is so faraway from anything I could possibly understand the meaning of. It surprises me everytime I´m confronted with it. =/

There is SOMETHING about the Mediterranean that really affects the soul
Definately.. I don´t know what it is but to me life somehow seems more vivid there, or more intense or something. I get that impression that people kind of LIVE a little more which of course is both to glorify and generalize.. *snerk* I mean there are other downsides with the mediterranean mentality and culture and whatever.. but yeah, something is a bit closer to how I long for life to be, somewhere in my nostalgic little gypsie!heart...

I felt immediately so "at home" in Greece I was shocked by it. The landscape, the music, the atmosphere - it all affected me so profoundly I wanted to cry.
I remember coming to Rome was like coming Home. No, not only Rome, it was Italy in general. I felt so ME and I don´t know why, I just sort of melted inside and became one with the streets and sounds and smells.

Where in Greece were you? When was this? Were you living there or travelling around? *breaks plates and throws flowers*

I KNOW I must have been Greek in another life
The possibilties are immense, aren´t they..? *flutters*


How happiness and pain are never far away from each other
Exactly! Maybe they are even one sometimes.

This movie is full of intriguing perspectives and wisdom.
One of my many favourite parts is when Antonia tells her mother about Massimo´s affair and her mother instead of pitying Antonia feels sorry for "the other".
=)

[floatingleaf.livejournal.com]

The whole Guilt-concept is so faraway from anything I could possibly understand the meaning of. It surprises me everytime I´m confronted with it. =/

Then you are among a lucky minority on a global scale, I'm afraid. It's amazing to what extent we are shaped by what was put into our heads when we were young and impressionable. It makes me so angry at religious leaders for authorizing all kinds of brainwashing techniques.:/ I may not have been directly affected myself, but let me just give you an example of how I still managed to 'get some'. When I was in the final years of elementary school, we had a visit from a 'sexuologist', who gave a talk to the students, warning them of the dangers of premarital sex (among other things). He even went as far as to say that girls who masturbated had more painful periods!!! What sad and disgusting bullshit that was - but how was I to know the untruth of it?... My periods had barely started at the time, and I had been masturbating before that - so of course I worried that I was making things worse for myself. It almost made me stop... for a week or two, lol. I mean - how do you stop a healthy teenager from masturbating?... And, more importantly, WHY would you do it???... Especially if you tell them that having any sexual contact with others at that age is very wrong. All this pent-up horniness has to go SOMEWHERE, for heaven's sake. Stifling it makes young people grow up seriously fucked in the brain and possibly a threat to society. But at least they're not filthy SINNERS, right?... *headdesk*

to me life somehow seems more vivid there, or more intense or something. I get that impression that people kind of LIVE a little more

Exactly. There is a huge contrast between the South and the North of Europe in this respect... and don't even get me started on the US. People here don't LIVE, they just work and pay their bills, buy loads of useless shit for their hard-earned money, get into debt, slave away to pay off their loans and then die.:/

Where in Greece were you? When was this? Were you living there or travelling around?

Just two little sight-seeing trips, in 1996 and 1999. I think I covered most of the standard tourist attractions in mainland Greece, plus some little islands close to the shore. Oh, and the second trip included a cruise trough the eastern part of the Mediterranean, with stops in Rodos and Cyprus and two days in Israel (which were really a blur, because the organizers were trying to cover all the major historic places within that ridiculously short time). I would have preferred a much more leisurely approach, but both those trips were a bargain, money-wise, and really all I could afford. *sigh*

One of my many favourite parts is when Antonia tells her mother about Massimo´s affair and her mother instead of pitying Antonia feels sorry for "the other".

Oh yes, Antonia's mother was priceless.:)