RICORDI?

Italy, 2018, 104 minutes, Colour.

Luca Marinelli, Linda Caridi, Giovanni Anzaldo.

Directed by Valerio Mieli.

Ricordi? The very title indicates that this is a film about memories. This is a stylish film, particularly for an arthouse audience, written and directed by Valerio Mieli, director of the well-received The 10 Winters.

This film moves between past, present and future, the fluidity of time in memory. Events indicate reminders. Reminders lead to nostalgia and memories.

The director does not name his central couple. They are played by Luca Marinelli (Martin Eden, The Eight Mountains) and Lynda Caridi (The Ties, Last Night of Amore). At the beginning, she is charming, dressed in white, optimistic, attracted to the dark-suited rather brooding guest at the social.

The film presents the changes in the relationship, from love to loss of love, their renting an apartment where he grew up, all kinds of incidents and the discussion of the reality of time, the present, the past.

There is a complication with the woman falling out of love, the man leaving her and going off on his own. There is some background about their respective families. Distressed, the woman goes to the man’s best friend to get some kind of advice, feeling and attraction.

Proust was very strong on Time Remembered and here is a contemporary Italian variation on the theme.

1. The title? A film of memories? Italian style?
2. The structure of the film, the meeting of the couple, their experiences, later experiences, flashbacks, memories determining action, action leading to recalling of memories? Into of past, present, future?
3. The characters nameless? Audiences identifying with them? Personalities, characteristics, episodes, identity, relationships, disappointments, love and loss of life
4. The opening, the social, the noticing each other, meeting, the attraction? Communicating?
5. The drama and the editing of the episodes, the time when the two responded well to each other, the various situations, friends, relationships? The cooling of the relationship, the woman and the other man, the man and his behaviour, relationships, mistakes?
6. The encounters, the discussions about memories, the going back to memories and their significance?
7. The failure of the relationship, the woman falling out of love and stating this, the man, his wandering, his coming back, dependence, dismay?
8. The communication, the memories of the past, the girl with red hair, his parents, his mother’s alcoholism? His brooding pessimism? The contrast with the woman, memories of her family, refuge with her family? Cheerful optimism?
9. The use of the apartment where he grew up, the renting it, the effect of living in it, communicating?
10. The woman, seeking advice from Marco, his character, response, relationship with her?
11. After the loss of love, his changing his brooding to more hope, and her seeing life more realistically?