A huge success on its home turf, this Italian comedy-drama hits familiar notes at high volume.
It's a portrait of the young man as a commitment-phobe, writer/director Gabriele Muccino centering his film on Carlo (Stefano Accorsi), a nearly-30 advertising man distracted from pregnant girlfriend Giulia (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) by an 18-year-old college cutie. Carlos' pals are also clinging to the coat-tails of their youth, while on the movie's margins there's the Almodòvar-lite set-up of Giulia's mum (veteran star Stefania Sandrelli) fleeing her stagnant marriage.
Hoisting up memories of Diner, Beautiful Girls and even Old School, this teases few fresh insights from its theme of responsibility versus restlessness. But what makes it a worthwhile watch is the amount of energy pumped into the performances and direction. True, two hours is a push for a rowdy Euro-soap, but this is one screen Kiss where you can really feel the passion.
