Caro diario

Plot synopsis:
The film consists of three autobiographical chapters (capitoli) of an open diary—that of film director and film producer Nanni Moretti.
=== Capitolo I: In vespa (On my Vespa) ===
The first episode follows the director/protagonist riding a Vespa through the neighbourhoods of a summery and half-deserted Rome. Shots of landscape, architecture, and beautiful monuments accompany his thoughts, which range from critiques of Hollywood cinema (specifically the contemporary movie Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer), to critiques of banalization of the Italian cinema, to a chance meeting with Jennifer Beals, to sociology and urbanism. The episode ends at Ostia, close to the place where Pier Paolo Pasolini was killed.
=== Capitolo II: Isole (Islands) ===
The second episode cuts to Moretti escaping from the frenzy of city life on a journey through the Aeolian Islands. Travelling by ferry, his first stop is Lipari where he visits his friend Gerardo (Renato Carpentieri), a scholar studying James Joyce's Ulysses who had moved to the island eleven years earlier. He retires to study on the lost island where he can't even receive the television signal. But he is unable to find the tranquillity he desires, due to the number of tourists. So Nanni, accompanied by Gerardo, moves to Salina Island. The two are welcomed by a couple, friends of Gerardo, who seem incapable of managing the education of an extremely over-indulged child. (Indeed, the entire island seems to be under the rule of children.) Gerardo lets himself be influenced by the boy, who spends hours in front of the television, and discovers soap opera. Gradually Gerardo becomes entirely dependent upon the genre. Nanni, now even more exasperated, decides to move, still accompanied by Gerardo, to the island of Stromboli, but even this choice proves unfortunate: the two now have to deal with a megalomaniac mayor who wants to involve them in the most odd projects. While visiting the volcano Gerardo becomes still more gripped by the soap operas, to the point of asking American tourists what happens in the episodes of The Bold and the Beautiful, which haven't been broadcast in Italy yet.
Disgruntled by the latest failure Nanni decides to move on the island of Alicudi, the least civilized of all, lacking water and electricity. At last Nanni seems satisfied with the accommodation, but Gerardo is impelled to escape from the island as soon as he realizes he cannot follow his favourite soap opera there.
=== Capitolo III: Medici (Doctors) ===
The final episode narrates the difficult diagnosis of a disease that affected Moretti in real life and has the symptoms of persistent itching and disturbing insomnia. Nanni goes through a load of doctors and specialists who, between superficiality and false knowledge, suggest the most bizarre diagnoses. His desperation is such that he also tries alternate treatments, like Acupuncture. After having tried them all, another doctor suggests an X-ray after noticing his developing cough. This X-ray reveals a mass on the lung which after a biopsy he is diagnosed as suffering from a malignant, but treatable lymphatic system tumour. The illness symptoms, which Nanni found in a medical encyclopedia, are those he declared to the "deaf" doctors. The episode concludes with a bitter and sarcastic toast alla salute! (English: To health!), accompanied by a glass of water.

Tags: cult, autobiographical

Review:
It is a free form film, divided into three parts which are pretty much like the diary entries alluded to in the title -- personal stories and reflections by writer/director Nanni Moretti, playing himself as a loner and narrating the film, sometimes in voice-over, sometimes on-screen (the other characters are oblivious to his narration).
In the first segment, he just drives around Rome on his Vespa, admiring housing projects, spouting admiration for Jennifer Beale, and searching for the spot where Pier Paolo Pasolini was murdered.
In one hilarious scene, he takes time out from his ride to berate a movie critic for giving a favorable review to "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer."  In the second segment, Moretti goes hopping around the Italian Islands (spectacularly filmed) and tries in vain to get some writing done.
In the third segment, Moretti recounts in almost documentary style the true story of his search for a cure for his baffling skin condition, which causes unbearable itching.
I found myself relating totally to Moretti's utter frustration and since it ended without resolution re: his cancer, I can only assume he beat it.Many times I or someone I love has this same tortuous struggle to find A SINGLE healer who really knows what gives.
It is a movie about an ordinary man, who enjoys doing quiet things by himself such as riding around Rome on his Vespa and walking by himself, he is not a hero he's anyone.
I like World music so the scene of the band playing for the dancers is great-who is that group...what is the song?
I didn't like the interposed parts showing Henri the serial killer or the Italian movie and I thought the last story was a bit boring- notice on the scene where he is looking for Passolini's murder spot how he just doubles back on himself.I could go on talking about this film and it comes in as one of my five best Cinema Paradiso, Unbearable Lightness of Being, Manhattan, and The Year of Living Dangerously..
Caro diario, a little undiscovered gem of a movie, maybe a bit artsy, but never pretentious or boring..
Caro diario (dear journal), is a little undiscovered gem of a movie, maybe a bit artsy, but never pretentious or boring.
The main character is Nanni Moretti, the director, played by himself.
Using a very original narrative, sometimes giving the impression you're watching a documentary only to be surprised when Nanni continues what the off-voice was saying to a guy in a convertible, it is an observation of different (and random) aspects of today's Italian society.
In the first part Nanni rides around Rome on his vespa, alternating monologues commenting whatever's in sight with long cinematic scenes where the images and music ooze a mood that says  all, the most memorable example of this being the visit to the beach where Passolini got murdered.
In the second and most hilarious part he and a friend visit several Italian islands in search of peace and quiet.
This part contains some Woody Allen-esque observations on human nature, tough comparing Moretti with Woody Allen would be underrating him, as making an island impossible to live on because it only consists of couples with a single child and illustrating it in such a witty manner seems far out of Allen's reach.
The third part is Moretti's quest for a cure for his skin disease, taking him from doctor to homeopath to dermatologist and back.
This seamed the lesser of the three parts, yet still very entertaining and funny tough somehow an anti-climatic ending to a great movie.
And a great movie it is, certainly considering the director's favourite flic is 'Flashdance'..
As a passive observer of Roman lifestyles, this film is better appreciated when you have some first hand experience living in Rome - since the director's point of view seems to come directly from this city.
Instead of satirizing low brow Roman lifestyles, Caro Dario spoofs the pretentious intellectuals (like his traveling comrade who finally breaks down and admits he is a soap opera addict) and the couples who have read various philosophical and historical works to their only son every night to help him go to sleep.
The comedic moments are just pointed enough to keep the film interesting, e.g., the very precise translation of "mezzo scemo" by Jennifer Beals; the island of misfit parents whose children reign; and the inside view of Roman medical care.
Free flowing, naturally witty, at times very funny film, accompanied with some wonderful music, especially during scenes where Moretti rides his Vespa in beautiful, empty streets of Rome's suburbs.The film is not like any other director's take on society while blending his personal stories in it.
Imagine Moretti being your guide and taking you around Rome and Italian islands, introducing layers of the Italian society with razor sharp and witty observations.Many of the characters in the film will seem familiar to people around the world.
Being unable to afford an apartment in his home town, frustration with doctors and their addiction to prescribe drugs, parents becoming hostage to their child, extreme want for change and development, people offering hedonistic capitalism, frustrated narcissists living in isolation.
The scene where Moretti rides his scooter to the place where Passolini is murdered has almost a dreamy barren atmosphere to it and possibly is the saddest part.And there are hilarious moments, especially the visits to the islands are a real treat!
It was also great to see Jennifer Beals, Flashdance being one of my favorites too.This is a gem, or better yet, a cult movie..
Great selection of music for this part and Moretti's expressions watching "Henry, Portrait of a Serial Killer" are hilarious.
The second part, is of a more surreal bent as Moretti and a friend tour the islands surrounding Italy.
Nanni Moretti turns the camera on himself as he explores his hang-ups and obsessions via three chapters.
An hilarious chapter that saves the film, because by the third part we have had enough of Moretti.
Movie follows main character (autobiography) on his wanderings through Rome and the Liparian Islands.
I'd often use it as a benchmark when viewing other films; "At least it wasn't as bad as Caro Diario." Three absolutely pointless segments, all featuring the director playing himself -- and he's not that interesting.
The best thing you can say about the director/actor/egotist is that he's got great taste in music..
With Caro diario, Italian actor/director Nanni Moretti tackles serious issues in a light manner..
Apart from Roman Holiday,Caro diario is another brilliant film which shows its protagonist ride a common man's preferred mode of transport,a scooter in order to explore some essential,life affirming themes which are close to a sensible human being's heart.In this film, Italian actor/director Nanni Moretti has established absolutely complete control of the cinema medium as he appears to be perfectly aware of the stories which need to be told and the manner in which they would be told.
This is the reason why Caro Diario mixes comedy and drama in equal proportions to retain viewers' attention.As a cinema professional Nanni Moretti makes pertinent observations about cinema and television and the role played by both these entertainment forms.His stance appears to be impartial when he talks about the role played by film critics in the dissemination of cinema culture.By taking viewers close to the spot where Pasolini died in 1975,Nanni Moretti accurately proves that only a cinema person can be in a comfortable position to speak about another cinema person.The general mood of Italian nation and irregularities seen in health care system have also been portrayed in a frank yet non polemical manner by Nanni Moretti.Lastly, Caro Diario is the best example of a film which treats serious issues in a light manner..
But this film (and in other ways his film The Son's Room) seems like Moretti's testament to his own fortitude, appreciation of simple things, humbleness, and ability to elicit sympathy.
That aside, the real things that ruin the film are Moretti's face and his manor.
Only see this film if you want to appreciate/ridicule Moretti's sheer audacity and pomposity..
At first I was ready to turn this movie off , but Nanni's voice caught hold and I was glad I watched it .
You will enjoy this film, especially if you enjoy the Italian mind set.
Fun film that the whole family would enjoy with a bizarre, wry humor; Italian with English subtitles.
I enjoyed this zany Italian movie.
I like good "clean" humor based on bizarre situations, and this movie hit the mark, unlike any other film I've seen.
In "Caro Diario" ("Dear Diary"), Nani Moretti directs himself as the main character in three chapters.
He is portrayed as a slightly eccentric man who rarely smiles, but ends up pursuing somewhat odd pursuits.In the first chapter, he rides his Vespa scooter in the suburbs of Rome.
When he finds homes of particular interest, he makes up a story about his being a filmmaker and considering that apartment to be a set to make an excuse to see the inside.I like the second chapter the best, where Nani goes to visit a friend in the Italian islands who is studying James Joyce's "Ulysses" for 30 years (if memory serves me right).
He wants to share quiet time to work on his own project, making a film based on collected clippings of strange real-world stories from the newspapers.In their quest to find the ideal island to work on, I found the funniest part of the film, where they are on an island where it seems everybody has a child.
I laughed quite a bit when Nani finds three folks near each other all on public telephones trying, in vain, to talk to their adult friends; he pauses, then makes an animal noise as his contribution!The third chapter is slightly less interesting than the other two.
After collecting a large collection of creams, pills, and tinctures, he ends up visiting a surgeon.It was a fun film that the whole family would enjoy, with a bizarre, wry, humor.
Though I didn't enjoy it as much as the film "Amelie", the quirkiness in "Caro Diario" reminds me a little bit of "Amelie", especially in the 1st chapter.
This film is in Italian with English subtitles.
Maybe a little bit of everything, but at the same time denying it all.Speaking about "Caro diario" only loses for the pleasure of watching the film performed by the Italian Nanni Moretti in 1993.
I confess that I had only previously watched a Morreti film, being presented to the director through his Italian classes, and in which we watched "Habemus Papam" in 2011."Caro Diário" is a unique work that is done through three episodes with an autobiographical character and in dialogue with the documentary.
Moretti could run the risk of doing something dangerously narcissistic, but by having a look, writing and personality so interesting, "Caro" turns into a jocular free movie to mock its own author, from His homeland, his friends, the public ...
The mosaic of the world that circulates Moretti is so true that in several moments the reciprocity and familiarity of situations not only cross the protagonist of this story, but also the one that watches.
As, for example, we do not identify with the inability of physicians to listen to their patients, but, in contrast, the doctors' ability to speak and recite medicines that do not help our illnesses, especially in Responsibility for healing.References are not always pleasant, as they generally tend to reduce the merit of people, in the case of Moretti, is sincere how much Woddy Allen inspired the director or is only personal connections of the public, since in various moments of the film, we have Memory and familiarity of typical approaches to Allen's autobiographical films, such as his direct narrative, his insertion as a man and character, his sarcastic comments, the division of chapters using nominative posters, the ability to laugh at himself, and endings that always follow The opposite of expected or desired.The use of a soundtrack that at different times is something that arises externally, and that ends up influencing or creating moments of the music itself, a dialogue between character and melody, work excellently and much say of the relation and influence of Latin rhythms or Of old songs in Moretti's lineup.
One of the most beautiful moments of the film is Moretti's homage to Italian filmmaker Paolo Pasolini, a motorcycle (scooter) to the place where the director was murdered to the sound of Korn's concert Keith Jarrett.The wasp: vehicle for only one person.
His idiosyncratic, peculiar way is, in fact, a way that could be anyone's; We notice it in Moretti simply because he exposes himself.Both the photography and the lighting are punctual, not going beyond what is necessary so little innovation, in the specific lighting is notorious the use of natural light, which greatly collaborates in the creation of a documentary and biographical character very close to the street documentaries or programs The first chapter, which uses an interesting camera work, both for the movement and the break of open and closed plans, this first part, refers very much to the television programs, which usually Present the neighborhoods of a large city through a personality."Caro diario" is mainly a conversation between the director and the audience, which creates an opportunity for intimacies that we can rarely experience, either through documentaries or the various film genres.
Moretti's love letter to Rome, Italy and himself.
"Dear Diary" is one of the delights of the Italian cinema, an adrenaline shot of pure pleasure from writer, director and star Nanni Moretti who uses his position as a film-maker to indulge himself in all the things he enjoys about Italy; his adopted city of Rome, the Italian islands, even taking a wryly humorous look at his treatment for cancer.
It's a wholly original concept though it may remind you of some of Fellini's later films since they are all essentially love letters to Rome and to Italy.
But "Dear Diary" goes further; it's also Moretti's love letter to cinema and he takes great delight in puncturing the pretensions of certain critics and the kind of low-brow films and television he abhors, ("Henry; Portrait of a Serial Killer", a film I love, gets singled out for special treatment), and who won't allow themselves to be moved when he visits the place where Pasolini was murdered.
Nanni Moretti directs himself playing himself in this wry look at life.
Presented in three chapters, Moretti uses the experiences of traveling on his motor-scooter, cruising with his friend around a set of remote islands in search of peace to finish his new film and consulting doctor after doctor to cure his annoying rash to cast a humorous look at his life and those around him.I don't know if I got out of this what I was supposed to, but I really enjoyed the exploration of film in this travelogue sort of way.
Ninno Morretti hops on go his Vespa and the first segment of this traveling diary, ventures throughout Rome to different neighborhoods, encountering a variety of interesting people along the way, including Jennifer Beals of Flashdance fame which Morretti says changed his life forever.
He stops in stops in a cinema and watches the bloody American film Henry: portrait of a serial killer and is disgusted by it and berates a critic who gave the violent saga a positive review.
Caro Diario is one my favorite films.
The effortless narration of Moretti makes you forget you're watching a film.
It feels rather like listening to familiar thoughts.The vespa scenes are amazing...This film concentrates all the ingredients of European cinema at just the right portions.
I find Caro Diario simple, sensitive, interesting, amusing, romantic, thought provoking, funny (I could go on ..) and therefore believe it deserves our appreciation.If you're a classic Hollywood blockbuster buff this might not appeal to you, still if there's any film that might take you to the other side this is it.
Caro Diario is a good film: but it isn't Hollywood, it isn't a britflick, it isn't a film made to do business outside of Italy and at a stretch Europe.
Hard to believe I know!This film is full of in-jokes that only Italians or people who have lived there will get.
He is essentially playing himself or his public persona because he's at times long-winded but generally entertaining.It's a film for people with an interest in Italy.
a personal, original and nice film.
Nanni Moretti is able to made his film using his personal point of view about his life that is not very different of the people´s ordinary life.
Caro diario is an artistic film that have elements of contemporary art: the ordinary life as art, some pages of his diary as a film..
Nanni Moretti made a movie in three parts about himself and his country.
Then he goes on a trip to the islands and shows all the aspects of Italian culture, each island being one different type.
Basically this is pretty much an autobiography as Golden Globe nominated director Nanni Moretti plays himself and tells his own story in three chapters, taken from extracts of his diary.
Part one sees him riding a scooter through the streets of a near empty Rome, visiting architectures and monuments, his critiques of Hollywood and Italian films - including the repetitive playing of Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, and a chance meeting with Flashdance actress Jennifer Beals.
Being based on the director's own experiences this is the most conventional of films, and that is why for most of the way it is interesting, most of the good stuff comes from the sights of the landscapes and cities on the journey, and the real life illness part gives it some poignancy, so overall while I didn't understand all of it, it is a watchable biographical comedy drama.