Ex (Italy)

The Italian film series at SIFF ended on a light note with this multi-character interwoven romantic comedy.  Sorta like Crash but with all the negative stuff taken out.  Oh, sure there is the stalker ex-boyfriend copy threatening to injure the new boyfriend, but that as all the stories are ended on a relatively light note.

Once you start watching you get the point right away.  There are lots of characters, and they're linked in a variety of ways - not all of which become apparent quickly.  Some are lovers, some are ex's, some are friends of ex's or neighbors, etc.  It's not always laugh out loud humor (though there are a few very funny moments), and we're not given a ton of time to fall in love with all the characters - but there's just enough to make this a likable affair.  Not being a Hollywood production I will say that not everyone's situation works out completely, and there is a touch of tragedy mixed in.  So the festival description (below) was fairly accurate;

"Juggling multiple storylines with aplomb, this mostly comic study of the vagaries of romantic entanglement focuses on five different couples and the ups and downs of their relationships. From a divorce attorney going through a brutal break-up with his wife to a French youngster smitten with his Italian girlfriend, co-writer/director Brizzi presents a wide variety of besotted characters looking for love. With a grand assembly of noteworthy actors, this charming film suggests that there is an ex in everyone’s past who can’t (or won’t) be forgotten."

This isn't necessarily going to stay with me in a deep way - but I had a good time seeing it in a very busy week of film.  That's gotta be saying something, even if I admittedly may have a lower bar for this sort of romantic nonsense.  ;-)  And heck - how often are you going to see a movie where you're rooting for a woman to run off with her priest.  I've included the trailer below - Italian only - sorry, couldn't find the subtitled one.  I think you can pretty clearly get the point and judge if it's the sort of thing you'd want to see.