Tedious slice-of-life

Rating: 3/10 (22 March 2018)

Wow, people really like this movie about a sullen teenager who falls in lust with an arrogant adult. I mean, really love it!
For me, this is a very slow movie about a couple of bland, unengaging people. While I generally like coming of age films, I like them for the romance and the sense of changing and growing, but I felt there was little of any of that.
There's also very little in the way of plot or conflict. It's basically a slow-moving lust-mance. I am not a fan of slice-of-life film making; I like stories. There isn't one here.
I will admit that some of the issue might be I'm straight. I think it's easier to relate to a relationship movie if you understand the attraction, and I don't know why either of those two would want the other one. I mean, the older guy is generically attractive even if he's obnoxious, but is the teenager even attractive? He doesn't look like much to me, but he's also got a really hot girlfriend so maybe he's a very attractive young man? Who knows?
But I don't think the issue is *just* that I'm straight. I didn't *love* Moonlight, the critically-lauded film about a gay black guy, but I did find it generally interesting. But the only reason I watched this movie to the end was because my girlfriend really liked it, and I spent the last third reading twitter on my phone (apparently missing a couple of moving moments, but I'm okay with that because I just don't care if the characters live or die).
The most I can say for the movie is it's a great ad for Italy, very pretty and idyllic. And there's a good soundtrack.
My girlfriend, FWIW, found this movie moving and profound. It also made her desperate to visit Italy.