Hannibal Season 2 Premiere Recap

EEEERRRRMMMMAAAAGGEEERRRDDDD

^^me the whole time

DON'T READ THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T WATCHED THE EPISODE

The second season of NBCs Hannibal aired tonight Fsdhfjksdfjdnfg. This show is one of my top three favorite shows, and Bryan Fuller is a geniusssss. Season one was amazeballs and I wrote a review which you can read here. But I'm thinking what will work better for shows is if I do recaps of each episode and then at the end of the season do a collective review. So here we goooooo!

I have a problem with things that come after the original; sequels for books and movies, second albums for music, and second seasons for tv shows. I find that the creators will try to gauge what worked well and then focus on that, which often just ends up feeling...contrived. Hannibal, luckily, seems to have avoided falling into this trap. The show picks up right where season one left off, with Will Graham freshly arrested and Hannibal still eating people food and making  ever-so-subtle puns. The tone matched that of season one; dark, creepy, dramatic, like some sort of macabre theatre production of an Edgar Allen Poe piece but more grotesque and with three-piece suits and paisley ties. 

The episode opens with the silent slicing of meat, seeing Jack Crawford's face in the glint of the knife, a mute fight between Hannibal and Jack that follows. Both seem to know the other's intentions; they are both ready to fight to the death. The fight was electrifying and didn't try to do anything showy with the choreography. When Jack is pierced in the neck with a shard of glass and runs into the *wine closet* (?) and you say to yourself this must be some sort of dream or something, it's all too surreal, the episode cuts back to 12 weeks earlier and truly begins the plot of the second season. Okay, so I was originally sort of pissed that the (I'm guessing) ending of the season was given away like that, but then I remembered- that's sort of how the show works. The show isn't a who-dun-it murder mystery- you already know who Hannibal is and his fate. I mean, this is a bestselling book series that spawned multiple movies, it would be sort of hard to keep people in the dark. So instead of wondering the whole season if someone is going to figure Hannibal out, and focusing on that, already knowing allows you to appreciate the other, more subtle aspects of the show.

I think the characters are even better built than last season. Sadly there was no Freddie Lounds to be found(s), but the sassy science squad was back (with a nice dose of character development on Beverly's part), along with Jack Crawford and his subdued guilt and internal conflict, and the creepy insane asylum overlord. Alanna Bloom is shaping up to be a much more prominent character this season. Given that she doesn't believe Will is innocent, you can't help but feel a little betrayed by her, but she's there for Will and wants to help him. She is the good in all this bad, the character that seems to remain pure through it all. I also am really loving her standoff with Jack over him having put Will into the field. The meeting at the beginning was so well- written, where you could tell that she didn't want to get Jack in trouble but also felt it was just to try to stand up for Will in whatever way possible. And omg dream Alanna just takes this show to new levels of freakish visual poetry (raven-stag-man I'm looking at you). 

And now we come to Will and Hannibal. And the twisted, murder-y, psycho, cannibalistic bromance between them. So romantic. It's sort of strange in a way; the Will of this season, despite his situation, is far more relaxed and composed than last season. He has finally got a grasp of the situation, of who's who and what's what, and strangely enough, behind bars it's as if Will feels more powerful. He feels more control over himself. (It helps his brain isn't like, on fire anymore.) He can now assess what happened and what needs to happen. But you do get that he truly hates Hannibal. There is no sympathy, but there is not the kind of loathing that comes from someone betraying you; that kind of hate can be healed with time and apologies. Will detests who Hannibal is as a person, now that he can finally see it. Like he said in the first season, he sees him "as one of those things born in hospitals from time to time". On the other hand, the premiere provided an unexpected insight into Hannibal's....soft side? Ok, that might be going a little far in reference to a serial cannibal murderer, but I REALLY SORT OF LOVE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE HANNIBAL'S THERAPIST THING. It adds an element of mystery and suspense, because it is clear that there are secrets tying them together, but it also seems as though Hannibal has power over her, and manipulates her with that power. But because he has power over her, he can tell her the things he wouldn't tell other people. He can, in a sense, open up, and that is his form of manipulation. And even though Hannibal does not have a heart-to-heart with his therapist, his act of honesty and transparency does actually point to some of his true feelings. When Hannibal says that Will Graham is his friend, I don't think that's an act. I believe him. Hannibal sees Will as an equal human being in a world full of animals, one that can match Hannibal, even challenge him to the point where Hannibal has to get him taken out of the immediate picture. Hannibal does not resent him for that: he respects him. And in some twisted way, I think Hannibal is lonely and truly does need a friend. He feels that Will understands him, and because Will knows who Hannibal really is, there's an intimacy there that Hannibal seems to really enjoy.

ALSO. This is something I really appreciated after I finished season one, and it is being done just as skillfully in season two. The show manipulates you into sympathizing with Hannibal. Or maybe that's just me. But through some witchy magic I always find myself looking at Hannibal positively. The show just won't let him be a true villain. Even the fight at the beginning, when Jack Crawford got Hannibal around the neck with his tie and was choking him, and Hannibal let out this little noise that sounded so weak, I was screaming in my head for Jack to stop hurting Hannibal. In truth, I wanted Hannibal to win the fight. Not by any conscious decision of my own, but because the show plants that idea so subtly into my mind. Why else would there be a scene like at the end, when Hannibal is sitting in his office, staring at Will's empty chair. He could have smiled, showing his satisfaction with having "won" (for now) but instead he just looks, well...sad. Not regretful; I don't think Hannibal really regrets anything he does. He is a psychopath, in the end. But he does, in whatever capacity he can, care about Will, and for that reason I still find myself caring about him.

STOP MANIPULATING MY FEELS BRYAN FULLER

Otherwise, music was spot-on as usual. Or should I say abstract sounds and vibrations. Whatever it is, it worked. The script was as beautiful as ever. Now that I'm accustomed to the avant-garde way the dialogue is spoken, I can really appreciate it. Some of the exchanges are just achingly eloquent. Cinematography= 10/10 all the stars. It's wonderful and amazing and the color palettes and depth of field and all that good stuff were perfect. My favorite scene was when Beverly came to Will in the asylum and gave him the pictures, and there was a camera shot from above of him laying out the picture, the hands over the pictures and the metal chain pulling back and forth going chk-chk-chk-chk. There was something really satisfying about how that shot was set up, and how the sound of the chain moving was emphasized.

I have a really, really great feeling about this season. I love all of Bryan Fuller's work; I think he's an artist as well as a perfectionist, so whatever he does it will be beautiful down to the smallest details. If everything else, Hannibal will never be sloppy. 

Did you see the episode this week? I'd love to hear what you thought of it in the comments below, and what you're looking forward to this season!

10 Bookish (And not so Bookish) Thoughts

The forest next to my house as seen from my balcony.

1.) I got through the first part of Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin but I'm not really loving it and it's 700 pages, so I don't know if I should finish it at this point.

2.) The Great 2014 Indie Press Preview is out! I looked through some of it and there are a ton of great titles, plus I love that they're from indie presses that I wouldn't hear about otherwise.

3.) I've noticed from reading blogs and watching Youtube videos that a lot of adults read YA fiction. I didn't really expect this, so I thought I would do a little web search as to possible reasons. I thought this article explained the trend really well- check it out! And if you're an adult that reads YA, I'd love to hear why you like it! I'm just curious- I think it's an interesting topic. So comment below!

4.)I watched Rushmore last night, so now I've watched Wes Anderson's whole filmography! I loved it so much, and I'll write a review of it. I mean, Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman played the two main characters, so it would have been hard for it not to be amazing. It was interesting to see what a jump Wes made from Bottle Rocket to Rushmore- you can tell he really figured out what his style was. And as per usual, the soundtrack was 100% spot on. My favorites-

5.) I re-watched Ginger and Rosa because it's just so beautiful and I can't get over it. And I realized last night that I have all the components for a Rosa outfit! Boyfriend jeans, gray oversized turtleneck sweater, duffle coat. I'm feeling a photo shoot??

6.) WHY ARE THERE ONLY THREE MORE DAYS OF VACATION??? I literally didn't do ANYTHING except lay around and write and read and draw and blog and bleahahhh.

7.) On the same note I'm currently having a crisis about what I want to do when I grow up because I don't feel like I'll be qualified to do anything and I don't want to end up in a cubicle.

8.) It's a balmy forty degrees fahrenheit today, so maybe I'll walk my dog and snap some pictures.

9.) Plans for France this summer are moving along, and it looks like I'll be spending two weeks there and then meeting my brothers in Amsterdam for another week- I can't wait! I just don't know what I'll do with the rest of my summer- it will be too late by the time I get back to do any of the programs I was looking into, and sailing will be almost over. There's no way I can sit around for a whole month of the summer, which is weird because I always thought of myself as an incredibly lazy person, but I've found I start having mini panic attacks when I spend more than a couple hours not doing anything to better my skills. 

10.) I need winter to be over NOW. It's getting old.

Little Failure by Gary Shteyngart

BOOK REVIEW! I haven't done one in awhile, sorry about that.

I really only got Little Failure because it was hyped so much- I'd seen it multiple times on Flavorwire and I had watched the trailer on Youtube.  Of course I expected it to be hilarious and entertaining, but what I really didn't expect was the depth of emotion that was expressed between the bouts of humor.

Gary Shteyngart moved from Soviet Russia to America when he was seven. In his book, he traces the immigrant experience, from having nothing to slowly moving upwards in society, the guilt at having money and luxuries when others don't, but the constant desire for more. 

I really like Shteyngart's writing. It's not beautiful, but it's accessible, and the way he fuses humor and dark truth really drives the story home. I find that I enjoy very few autobiographies; after a few chapters I find myself simply not caring about the author anymore. And if Shteyngart didn't write with so much humor, I might have become disinterested. But he kept me hooked with his sarcasm and self-deprecation enough that I was able to get through, and enjoy, the more serious and painful sides of his life. I also enjoyed learning about his family, and the character traits he considers to be "Russian". Russia is a country I don't ultimately know much about, especially the people there, so I liked the insight his book provided. It wasn't a groundbreaking read, but it was enjoyable and I would recommend it.

Stuck Indoors

I'm finally on February vacation! One more day of school and I was going to collapse. On Saturday we got more snow, about four more inches. I don't really mind the snow, I like looking out and seeing everything covered in white. To amuse myself I did a photography exercise I had heard about from someone at school. You go around your house and take pictures, but you're not allowed to move anything or turn any lights on. It was interesting to look at the objects I see every day in a new light. Some of the photos were eh, some I like, but it was good practice.

My mom's sewing machine.

Adorable pumpkin is adorable.

My record player with my Franz Ferdinand album.
 

Plant in my dad's study.

I have way too many magazines for my own good...

My books looking far more mysterious than they really are.

Pineapple lamp in my bedroom.

I don't actually know what these are but they were sitting around in my dad's study.

My mom's iron avec an artfully draped napkin.

I ambushed my dog...

Wavy window.

My doorstop.

Valentine's Day flowers.

Some of my books ( I don't have any bookshelves right now so all my books are stacked in random places.

Cloud Atlas (2012) dir. by Tom Tykwer, Andy Wachowski

Me After Watching the the Trailer- "I have no idea what that was about but there was a Ben Whishaw"

Me After Watching Movie- "Well I have no idea what that was about but there was a Ben Whishaw"

Even just after watching the trailer, I figured this story would probably work out better as a book. And I think I was right.

Cloud Atlas follows six stories across hundreds of years and thousands of miles, and yet they are all connected. There's the lawyer on a voyage across the Pacific, a young genius pianist (hi Ben Whishaw) writing letters to his boyfriend, a seventies action plot starring Halle Berry, a quirky publisher locked up in an old folks home, a rebel Korean waitress, and a post-apocalyptic cannibalistic Hawaii with Tom Hanks smeared in dirt. And all this stuffed into two and a half hours of screen time.

This film was another case of a very interesting idea swallowed up by too much action (I'm looking at you, Surrogates) Some of the scenes and speeches were really quite lovely, and touched on some great thoughts, but everything was moving too fast to truly appreciate these moments, and it was hard to catch what the plots were about in between all the running and guns and Tom Hanks face shots. I haven't read the book, so maybe all this action really is a part of the story, but I feel like it may have been pumped up for audiences. I could see the movie working really well as a more quiet, contemplative piece with piano music and gentle soliloquies.

Out of all the plots, the only one I really liked was Robert Frobisher. Given the number of plots in the movie, each only got, what, like thirty minutes of screen time, and so it was hard to understand the plot and connect to the characters. The pianist one was the only one, in my mind, that really was able to connect and be powerful in the limited time it had. The Robert Frobisher plot was about a young gay (bi?) pianist who had been disinherited by his father and went to work with a sick composer to prove himself. The whole time, he is writing letters to his boyfriend Sixsmuth, and much of the story is narrated through these letters. I think this part of the movie worked so well because the character of Robert is immediately understandable- he's a great piano player, he wants to prove his father wrong for disinheriting him, he loves Sixsmuth. That's it there it is. Simple compared to why Tom Hanks is running around post-apocalyptic Hawaii with futuristic Halle Berry being chased by cannibals and speaking 1984 language. And the aesthetics were perfect- not overdone like some of the other plot lines. High-waisted trousers, pretty brick house, golden light, gentle narration. The whole movie should have been like that. Plus, that story was the one that had the true music, the Cloud Atlas, in it, and the music is the heart of the movie in my opinion. 

As for the other story lines- the lawyer on the boat was meh, although I did like the part with the slave and thought his rigging job was pretty cool (The sailor part of me is crazy jealous of his skills). The seventies provided a lot of clear parallels between the different parts of the movie but was pretty ridiculous, what with the nuclear power scheme and gun chases. The publisher, I still don't quite understand why he was even in the movie and I think his story was to provide some comic relief BUT I DIDN'T WANT COMIC RELIEF because whenever I was about to get into the story he shows up and it's just like *groan*. I thought the New Seoul part of the story was really interesting and I liked the outfits a ton, as well as some of the ideas about technology, but I thought the world building was far weaker than it should have been. I don't even want to talk about post-apocalyptic Hawaii. 

The music was so beautiful- I like that the Cloud Atlas piece showed up in different forms throughout the whole movie, to tie some things together. But I really wish there was a part of the movie that was basically silent save for the music- we really only got that at the end when Robert was narrating his last letter to Sixmith. The music was so powerful but I don't think it was focused on enough, or utilized well enough considering the movie was named after it. 

Travel To Edinburgh

Cloud Atlas Sextet for Orchestra

In conclusion, I think this movie bit off more than it could chew. The parallels and how the different plots fit together weren't clear enough, and I spent most of the time confused. I think the part with Sonmi 451 could have been its own movie, and I think the parts with Robert and the lawyer could have been made into a full movie themselves, considering they fit best aesthetically. I still have hope for the book, though, since I think the different parts would clash less in written form and everything would be much clearer. I like the ideas presented, of how everything is connected.

Favorite Scene-

This was the scene that stood out the most for me. The golden light, the beauty of the shots, the two lovers passing by each other, the gentle statements of "I watched my last sunrise. I smoked my last cigarette." I thought that this part really exemplified what the movie was about- how death is just opening another door, and how some things, like music, live on after us. I maybe cried a little. Ben Whishaw was too pretty to die.

Weekend Watches

I'm outta here!! I'm going to Vermont for the weekend, which means no internet :'( Actually I'm not so sad, I need to get some reading and writing done. Anyways, since there will be no reviews, I thought I would leave y'all with my to-watch film list- maybe you can fit in some time to watch one of the movies and tell me how it is!

Cloud Atlas

Judging from the trailer, this looks like a really interesting but also really confusing movie- I'm thinking I might want to read it in book form first...

Monuments Men

Just the fact that Bill Murray is in this makes me want to watch it #billmurrayfanclub but I hear from Flavorwire the soundtrack really ruined the whole thing </3 I can't stand bad soundtracks...

A Fantastic Fear of Everything

Although this hasn't been released in the US yet I'm sure I could find it streaming. It looks pretty cute and campy.

La Migliore Offerta

And you thought there weren't going to be any Italian films on this list ;) This looks really intriguing- I like that there seems to be an art history aspect. It's been on a lot of top ten Italian films lists.

Viva La Liberta

I've fallen for Toni Servillo the way you only can for dopey old guy actors (Bill Murray I'm looking at you). His wrinkles and watery eyes make me happy what can I say. 

Spring Breakers

Okay don't roll your eyes. I wasn't going to watch this at first, but then people started saying it was actually pretty insightful and wasn't just a neon drugged-out mess, so I'll give it a try.

Tim's Vermeer

I love Vermeer and art history and this movie just makes me really excited what can I say.

Inside Llewyn Davis

This movie seems to be one of those where you either love it or hate it- I've seen reviews on both ends of the spectrum. What seems to be constant is that people say there's sort of a mockery of the film industry in it, it's not trying to be good, you just have to get it. Well, from that description I don't really get it but the cat looks promising.

Amelie

This seems to be the film to watch if you want to watch a French film, and I'd love to give it a go- it looks very quirky and original. I don't know how I feel about French films; watching Delicatessen at the ripe age of six seemed to scar me subconsciously- I still remember random scenes from it at weird times.

Rushmore

When I watch this I will have seen every Wes Anderson film there is to see. Plus, young Jason Schwartzman. I mean, young Jason Schwartzman. 

Aside from those, there's a whole spread of Italian films I'd like to get around to watching, but I'll leave you with these for now :) If you've seen any of these, or watch any of these over the weekend, make sure to leave a comment telling me how they are!!

Bookish (And not so bookish) Thoughts

1.) I've been deathly ill for this whole week and it is not at all fun. I haven't even been able to concentrate on any books or movies, so I've been mindlessly downloading my whole Grooveshark library into Itunes.

2.) I'm going to Vermont tomorrow- I'm excited for some time away from everything, without internet or tv. I'm hoping to write a little- I get inspired even thinking about going North for some reason. (Consequently, why I want to go to college up there.)

3.) I'm obsessed with this cover.

4.) My french teacher doesn't seem to consider having no voice an excuse for not filming my oral homework, and she sent me an e-mail saying, simply, "J'attends toujours." Tiny bit scary.

5.) THIS. #Im insufficient

6.) I watched Frances Ha last night. Review to come, but I really liked it- it just made me feel good. And Greta Gerwig is a goddess <3 I aspire to be as socially awkward.

7.) Almost done with Little Failure! I have one or two chapters to go. I'm going to start Winter's Tale by Mark Helprin this weekend- I want to read it before the movie comes out. It also seems to be the perfect time of year for it. I don't really love Mark Helprin's writing, but we'll see.

Link up with Christine@Bookishly Boisterous!

January Review

It's officially February! It's so strange- January felt like it went by so fast. I got into this strange time thing where on January 28 I still thought it was January 14 (I blame not having to date my papers in school anymore), so it was a little bit of a rude awakening to learn the first month of 2014 had passed. I don't know if anyone else gets this, but sometimes I'll remember Spring or Summer in strange flashes of certain senses, like the feel on my skin of a muggy summer dusk or the smell of a hot dry room with wood floors. It's making me really want winter to end.

BOOKS READ

Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

I didn't write a review of this one but maybe I'll do a video for it. It was definitely really interesting to see where the makers of the TV show drew their inspiration from. 

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov

(Review)

MOVIES WATCHED

La Grande Bellezza dir. by Paolo Sorrentino

(Trailer)

(Review)

Caro Diario dir. by Nanni Moretti

(Trailer)

(Review)

Ginger and Rosa dir. by Sally Potter

(Trailer)

(Review)

Bianca Come Il Latte Rossa Come Il Sangue dir. by Giacomo Campiotti

(Trailer)

(Review)

Speak, Memory by Vladimir Nabokov

'Speak, memory' said Vladimir Nabokov. And immediately there came flooding back to him a host of enchanting recollections - of his comfortable childhood and adolescence, of his rich, liberal-minded father, his beautiful mother, an army of relations and family hangers-on and of grand old houses in St Petersburg and the surrounding countryside in pre-revolutionary Russia. Young love, butterflies, tutors and a multitude of other themes thread together to weave an autobiography which is itself a work of art. 

I received the Everyman's Library edition of this book for Christmas, and started it at the beginning of January. It was an interesting way to approach Nabokov's work, but I think reading his autobiography is a good primer to reading his other stories, like Lolita. He mentions many times how he has written certain experiences and memories of his own into his other novels.

Speak, Memory was written incredibly beautifully, with some ideas and lines that just begged to be highlighted. However, it was a bit dense, which is why it took me so long to get through. The first chapter, speaking about his memory of being a person, an entity separate from others, was a vivid and thought-provoking lead-in to the book, but I have to say after that there were some parts I was quite bored with. There was a whole chapter just listing the names and connections between his ancestors, which I forced myself to read more as a test of will than anything else. From Nabokov I got the sense that he knew he was a very good writer, and he knew that he had a privileged background, and so had no shame in self-indulging quite a bit in his autobiography. I mean, autobiographies by definition are somewhat self-indulgent, but at certain points in this I literally had to keep myself from asking aloud, "WHO CARES??". The middle chapters of the book are sort of a dull blur in my memory, but I think the last chapter served as a bit of redemption- in it I found the sentiment and thought-based writing I had been craving for the last hundred or so pages. In my opinion, Nabokov fixated far too much on his childhood. At a certain point I just wanted his story to move along. The one thing that really stood out for me about his writing, however, was his descriptions of light. The way Nabokov described light in his story, from the lurid gleam after a rainstorm to the view of a small town from a passing train in the night, it was like he was taking the images right out of his mind and putting them into mine. 

Although I was sometimes bored with it, and for a memoir found it to be a little too impersonal, I can understand why Speak, Memory is considered one of the best autobiographies of the twentieth century. The experience of growing up as a privileged child in Russia and then being exiled makes quite an interesting story, and some of Nabokov's views really struck me, especially about what life is. (A bright gap between two infinities of darkness, a spiral in a glass ball). To read any of Nabokov's work, I think it would be pretty important to read his autobiography, because his life strongly affected his writing, as with most authors.

Cinema Paradiso (1988) dir. by Giuseppe Tornatore

I've found that some of the most genuine and inspiring art is about art itself. When an artist creates something about what they love the most in the world, that love is conveyed to the viewer. Cinema Paradiso was a love story about a boy and film. And it was a love that lasted his lifetime.

We meet Salvatore as a middle-aged man, living in a nice apartment with a beautiful woman. He receives a phone call from his mother, telling him someone named Alfredo has just died. This spurs a series of Salvatore's childhood memories, from when he lived in the small Sicilian town of Giancaldo with his mother and little sister. He was called Toto, and he was a cunning and vivacious boy. He would love to sneak into the town's cinema and visit the projectionist, Alfredo. From Alfredo Toto learned the craft of film, and as he grew up spent much of his time with Alfredo at the cinema. After Alfredo is caught in a fire at the cinema and is blinded, Salvatore had to take over the role of projectionist. He falls in love, joins the army, and comes back to Giancaldo, but Alfredo, seeing that Toto will meet a dead end in the small town, tells him he must go and never return. Thus Toto leaves the town and the film returns to the present, when Toto finally comes home to attend Alfredo's funeral.

For me, this movie seemed like the epitome of an Italian movie. A small village, an aging man reflecting on his youth, first love, a town crazy, a few stray dogs and a herd of sheep, some offbeat if not a little risque humor, a bed of genuine emotion, and there you have an Oscar winning foreign film. Toto was an adorable and inspiring main character- he was sly and scrappy, but he also really loved the cinema and loved Alfredo. I appreciated the consistency of his character throughout; we see him in three incarnations (child, teen, man), and although in each he is more reserved, he remains the playful Toto we got to love in the first few minutes of the film. 

Of course, my favorite aspect of the film was the relationship between Toto and Alfredo. Alfredo was by far my favorite character in the film. He looked out for Toto and really wanted him to be something. Although not bitter, Alfredo wished he had done more with his life that sit in the projection room- he takes night school and he warns Toto against becoming a projectionist, saying Toto should not want to be like him. At the same time, he wants to nurture Toto's interest in film. Alfredo developed a lot after losing his sight: of course it's the old trope of the blind seeing more than the sighted, but it was done in such a sweet and subtle way in this movie. When Alfredo runs his hand over little Toto's face and suddenly we see Toto as a teenager, and realize that really Toto had been growing up but Alfredo had always seen him as a child, was when I committed to liking Alfredo's character. *Spoiler?* The ending was so heart wrenching when Alfredo told Toto that he needed to get out of the village and go somewhere to become successful and fulfill his potential, that Toto should not come back and if he did Alfredo would not let him in his house. It showed more than anything how much Alfredo loved him- that he would sacrifice being with him for Toto's future. 

Not a huge number of movies get to me emotionally, but this one really did a number on the feels. There's that bittersweet happiness in it that gets me every time, that wonderful and horrible statement of this is how things are, that's all that makes for the best movies and books. There's no real problem to solve, there's no hero that comes and saves the day because the day does not need saving, everyone is going on with their lives, and in each one's life is enough sentiment and drama and love and beauty to make a movie. Toto never really found love- his love was in films, as really, his life was. I was almost in tears by the end, and I think this is really a wonderful Italian classic that everyone should watch. 

(The soundtrack was great, if not a little repetitive)