"Gli anni più belli" portraits 40 years in the life of four friends whose personal stories intersects recent history. On the steps of Lelouch "Bolero" and Scola's "C'eravamo tanto amati", which is explicitly quoted. Although the movie develops on the edge of mannerism and can be fairly accused of lacking subtlety in some of its topic scenes (as often with Muccino's work), its message is true and powerful: the best years are the ones we dare to live fully. Love is not the romantic fantasy that happens to you in Hollywood movies, it is not a commodity, but it is an ongoing practice of care, respect, forgiveness for others. Connection is the answer. All actors deliver great performances (Ramazzotti in particular). The movie is packed with quotations from Italian classics which will please movie lovers.
14 Reviews
Imitation of life
teresa_rosado6 November 2022
Italian cinema doesn't need big productions or state-of-the-art technology to make good films. It is not a defect, but a virtue. A good script, good actors, efficient directing and editing and, practically, it's done. Said like that, it even seems easy, because that's the idea we get when we watch some of these movies. The last one that left me this idea was Gli anni più belli (Gabriele Muccino, 2020).
For about two hours, we follow 40 years in the lives of four friends, Giulio, Paolo, Ricardo and Gemma, marked by many disagreements and many other encounters. The intimate life episodes are framed in the social and political context that has shaped Italy over the last four decades, adding value to the film.
But what really catches our attention is the imitation of life as it is, with conquests and disappointments; difficulties and successes; expectations that change according to reality; encounters with the lost hope; questioning and incessant search for happiness, which, even unconscious, is always latent.
If there is anything in the story that we can learn from, it is to realize that being successful may not translate into obtaining great profits or prominent positions, that happiness is not accounted for in monetary values, that the things that make us happy are really the simplest things (although it is a commonplace) and that it is on them that we should focus, otherwise we will see life pass without us having made it our own.
And, as everything is cyclical, the last sequence shows a couple of teenagers who, like so many others before them, are starting their journey, to, in the end, probably, reach the same conclusion, although with diverse life experiences. This also seems to alert us that life is too short to be spent with people you don't like or doing something that doesn't mean anything to you, but I guess though too obvious, it's something each and every one of us will only learn by living.
For about two hours, we follow 40 years in the lives of four friends, Giulio, Paolo, Ricardo and Gemma, marked by many disagreements and many other encounters. The intimate life episodes are framed in the social and political context that has shaped Italy over the last four decades, adding value to the film.
But what really catches our attention is the imitation of life as it is, with conquests and disappointments; difficulties and successes; expectations that change according to reality; encounters with the lost hope; questioning and incessant search for happiness, which, even unconscious, is always latent.
If there is anything in the story that we can learn from, it is to realize that being successful may not translate into obtaining great profits or prominent positions, that happiness is not accounted for in monetary values, that the things that make us happy are really the simplest things (although it is a commonplace) and that it is on them that we should focus, otherwise we will see life pass without us having made it our own.
And, as everything is cyclical, the last sequence shows a couple of teenagers who, like so many others before them, are starting their journey, to, in the end, probably, reach the same conclusion, although with diverse life experiences. This also seems to alert us that life is too short to be spent with people you don't like or doing something that doesn't mean anything to you, but I guess though too obvious, it's something each and every one of us will only learn by living.
Beautiful. 8/10
nikolalesajatulo13 December 2020
It speaks beautifully about life as something so challenging but also so wonderful and unique. It portrays 40 years in life of 4 friends. All the ups and downs, love and hate and all the suffering that a real friendship can cause you. This film makes you feel something and wants you to live your life the best as you possibly can but to never forget the people that have been by your side.
Few movies have made me feel like this one
alexaras9921 July 2020
This is a movie about life.
Don't expect to feel thrills or emotional peaks when watching it. However I was on the verge of crying during most of the movie, and at the same time was similing constantly - that's life!
It's so sentimental to watch how our lives take different paths, but the emotions remain intact. How time washes away all the anger. How we make mistakes, but love is above them.
This movie is not the typical movie, but it's for sure the kind I love to watch.
10* and my first IMDb review, which I felt I needed to write, since the current rating the movie is having, is not at all reflecting its worth.
Don't expect to feel thrills or emotional peaks when watching it. However I was on the verge of crying during most of the movie, and at the same time was similing constantly - that's life!
It's so sentimental to watch how our lives take different paths, but the emotions remain intact. How time washes away all the anger. How we make mistakes, but love is above them.
This movie is not the typical movie, but it's for sure the kind I love to watch.
10* and my first IMDb review, which I felt I needed to write, since the current rating the movie is having, is not at all reflecting its worth.
I almost forgot how it feels to just be happy for others, and then I went to the cinema
balintkinga12 August 2021
No, I'm not talking about the characters of the movie (though I can't say that I didn't fall for each one of them, I did, they took me on a ride on their own personal rollercoaster), I'm talking about the story that unfolded at the end of the movie. I was just sitting there absolutely taken by the mesmerising beauty of the cinematography when a small group walked in. They set down behind me and they were eating popcorn, chitt-chatting, laughing, making comments on the plot, just living it. These kinds of noises bother me most of the time, well this time I found it cute even. I didn't turn around.
The story is perfectly round, exquisite, I cried twice. First when the exact appropriate aria came along in the exact appropriate moment, when I thought that it can't go any higher emotionally and then just before leaving the movie theatre. Dazzled by this amazing, some two hours of length of magic a man called out to me. "Excuse me miss, can you take a photo of us?" "Sure", I said, than the lights went on and I saw this small gang of people, in their 50's and the gentleman said: "we're just like them, we're friends for almost 40 years now..". I hope the pictures turned out well, since I couldn't see clearly from the tears swelling up, but I do recall that I told them how beautiful they are.
Lately I ask myself a lot why is it exactly that I love art so much, maybe because it's a mirror to life.
The story is perfectly round, exquisite, I cried twice. First when the exact appropriate aria came along in the exact appropriate moment, when I thought that it can't go any higher emotionally and then just before leaving the movie theatre. Dazzled by this amazing, some two hours of length of magic a man called out to me. "Excuse me miss, can you take a photo of us?" "Sure", I said, than the lights went on and I saw this small gang of people, in their 50's and the gentleman said: "we're just like them, we're friends for almost 40 years now..". I hope the pictures turned out well, since I couldn't see clearly from the tears swelling up, but I do recall that I told them how beautiful they are.
Lately I ask myself a lot why is it exactly that I love art so much, maybe because it's a mirror to life.
Just beautiful
drena_shala25 December 2020
Moving story
sidney_amsterdam10 August 2020
A story about friendship during 40 years
Everybody is going his and her own way.
This movie made me think about my own life.
Which was in a sense also a movie with many friendships, and some people are more lucky then others.
I really don t understand why this movie has a very low rating...
Why?
People are afraid to see a movie about feelings
Don t believe them , it s well made and it makes you write a comment
Loved it
ornelladauria12 May 2020
Amazing rollercoaster, brought with love from Italy.
farhad-1340927 August 2020
It is a good and compelling story, you keep curious about the next step. It gives, at least it gave me in the room: a nice, pleasant but above all warm feeling. A nice but also grim and gloomy feeling. When I left the cinema it stayed with me for a while.
Gli anni piu belli makes you think about life and the beautiful and also the gloomy part of friendship, family and especially love. Because that is what it all comes back to in the end.
The scenery is pretty amazing as well.
Gli anni piu belli makes you think about life and the beautiful and also the gloomy part of friendship, family and especially love. Because that is what it all comes back to in the end.
The scenery is pretty amazing as well.
Nostalgic, funny and touching
Filmoon24 August 2021
Pretty common story made into pretty decent movie.
nikos-sok2 September 2021
thd best film from Muccino
gtortola31 August 2020
Beautiful, generation spanning drama
martinpersson9715 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
This incredible Italian drama, by a stellar director, is definitely deserving of all its recognition and praise.
It is indeed an incredible achievement, with stellar writing, very emotional, epic and big scaled, and some truly outstanding acting, from great names. Overall very beautifully made in every sense of the word, splendid dialogue, use of music, and overall wonderfully cut.
The cinematography, cutting and editing is stellar, very unique and very beautifully put together. Very much the work of a master, and heavy on great allegorical works. Very beautiful.
Overall, definitely an incredible and ever recommended drama for the ages!
It is indeed an incredible achievement, with stellar writing, very emotional, epic and big scaled, and some truly outstanding acting, from great names. Overall very beautifully made in every sense of the word, splendid dialogue, use of music, and overall wonderfully cut.
The cinematography, cutting and editing is stellar, very unique and very beautifully put together. Very much the work of a master, and heavy on great allegorical works. Very beautiful.
Overall, definitely an incredible and ever recommended drama for the ages!
beautiful eulogy of life and friendship
Kirpianuscus17 November 2023
The great virtue of this beautiful film is the admirable eulogy of friendship. The realism, too. And the feeling to see a sort of very personal story, reminding crumbs from your life.
Well acted, it is a confession about four decades from the life of three - in some measure four - friends . A full film about life, with some unrealistic situations, familiar problems, definitions of love, succes , happiness and parenthood but charming for the fair dose of honesty.
Being profound subjective, I feeled it be a film about me including the inability to recognize Kim Rossi Stuart in the role of Paolo .
In short, not original, maybe just expression of too easy and cheesy solutions but ...refreshing .
Well acted, it is a confession about four decades from the life of three - in some measure four - friends . A full film about life, with some unrealistic situations, familiar problems, definitions of love, succes , happiness and parenthood but charming for the fair dose of honesty.
Being profound subjective, I feeled it be a film about me including the inability to recognize Kim Rossi Stuart in the role of Paolo .
In short, not original, maybe just expression of too easy and cheesy solutions but ...refreshing .
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