Gianni (writer/director Gianni di Gregorio) is a lovable man in his mid-60s who is besotted by women of all sorts. He deeply loves his daughter and wife, to say nothing about his 95-year old mother (Valeria de Franciscis) who he looks after. He's infatuated with every woman he seems and they seem to love him, but only in the way a daughter loves a father. He's an old guy and seems to have totally lost his sexual mojo. His downstairs neighbor, his mother's nurse, the daughter of his mom's best friend all seem to love the attention he gives to them (he's in love with all of them), but are not able to return the interest. At some point when his best friend tells him he should get a girlfriend to get his youthful juices flowing, he tries, but fails miserably.
This is a very nice, very simple follow up to di Gregorio's even simpler film from last year, Mid-August Lunch. Just as with that one, this film is not flashy and moves along with a clever story, great dialogue and a naturalness that is very refreshing. Di Gregorio's style is reminiscent of early Woody Allen stuff, but he's a bit more self-aware than Woody and not as gonzo or as much of a nebbish. This is what Woody's film should be like today - but instead, he makes his older male leads get the bombshells he pursues (in a ridiculous, gross way with Whatever Works).
Di Gregorio is old and wise enough to know that it is true that most women in their 20s and 30s don't look at men in their 60s in a sexual way, despite what many sextagenarians would have us believe. Instead he shows us an interesting thing about how the "male gaze" changes as men get older and become less threatening and visible to younger women. He gawks at these babes, but they don't look back at him or even realize he's looking at them because they don't see him as a sexual being. This becomes a pretty funny jokes as he stares at their boobs and butts without them knowing the difference. He would be much better off just just enjoying the wonderful Roman life he has with his wife and daughter.
This is a fun film, a bit more of a story than Mid-August Lunch, but similarly delightful.
Stars: 3 of 4
The Salt of Life will open the Open Roads: New Italian Cinema 2011 festival at the Film Society of Lincoln Center at 6:30pm on June 1 and will play again at 9pm on June 4.
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