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With so many characters, it helps that the actors bring them to life with such effortless skill, grounding each person in authentic feelings and reactions, especially as new relationships are born. At the centre, Lindon and Wapler are strongly likeable leads, young people separated by generations with similar openness to what life has to offer. Adele and Seb are loners who discover the power of connecting with people, following their guts and taking a risk to leap into the unknown.

Surrounding these two are a delightful collection of quirky friends and relatives, each with his or her own expectations, hopes and fears. Klapisch orchestrates their interaction beautifully, using humour and delicate interaction to elicit bracing insights. So the entire film has an enjoyably weightless feel to it, even as its big ideas catch hold of the imagination. It's a rare film that reminds us of how we are connected to the people who went before us. And it makes us want to live without regrets.

themes, language

13.Apr.26

Everyone feels earthy and natural, even when things begin to get somewhat melodramatic. Intriguingly, XCX and Gora play the connection between Bethany and Nel as relaxed and natural, unlike the warm but much more jagged bond between Bethany and Madden's sweetly lovelorn Rob. She thinks he's too nice, so the way she treats him is appalling. Neglecting to be honest, she callously ditches him to party with Nel. It's especially difficult to sympathise with her because she knows that his feelings are real.

Essentially, the film is a slice of life that explores the tangled web of attraction that young people weave when they are trying to find themselves, seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are hurting each other and themselves in the process. The narrator exposes straightforward facts about even the more marginal characters, which playfully unpicks the way everyone interacts. Indeed, Bethany and Nel embrace the eruptions inside and around them. But as Claude notes, "Volcanoes kill people."

themes, language

13.Apr.26

Performances have an offhanded ease that's thoroughly endearing. Romano and Capovilla play lifelong buddies who behave almost like an old married couple, finishing each other's sentences and taking affection for granted. Carlobianchi and Doriano extend their open-hearted, inebriated joy to Giulio, played by Scotti with a superbly closed-in nervousness. It's wonderful to watch him slowly awaken to the possibilities of life, especially as he fantasises about living Carlobianchi and Doriano's memories with Giulia (Bertasi), the classmate he's afraid to pursue.

There are so many deeper ideas swirling around that the film continually startles us with its powerful resonance. Giulio is uncomfortable interacting with these older men, but their open-hearted worldview is contagious. And they also begin to see through his eyes, discovering new details about this corner of the world. Meanwhile, the film is exploring pungent themes about how progress literally changes the landscape, often in ways that keep our nostalgia in check. So human connections, even across seemingly unsurmountable cultural barriers, are everything.

themes, language

6.Mar.26 cmi