neumu [ cinematronic ]




	Italian For Beginners
	Lone Scherfig Anders W. Berthelsen, Anette Stovelbaek, Ann Eleonora Jorgensen, Peter Gantzler, Lars Kaalund, Sara Indrio Jensen 2001		Every so often, a sleeper of a movie comes along, sneaking into theaters and delighting audiences lucky enough to get word of it. This Danish romantic comedy, set in wintry Copenhagen, should be one of those finds. It's an ensemble piece about six lonely people — an avid young minister, a clumsy but well-intentioned shopgirl, a short-tempered sports bar manager, a frazzled hairdresser, a withdrawn hotel manager and a shy cook/bartender — who all end up in the same Italian class. Hampered by past failures, current obligations and esteem problems, they each manage to feel their way toward relationships. They falter and stumble, flawed yet hopeful, and you can't help but root for them to succeed. This is one of a series of films, also including "The Celebration" and "The King Is Alive," shot by the Dogma collective, a mostly Danish group of directors who use natural light and sound for a you-are-there effect. And Dogma's intensified intimacy nicely sustains the personal angle of "Italian for Beginners."