le città di pianura
(the last one for the road, dir. by francesco sossai, ita 2025)
a surprising movie. not in the sense that i was surprised i liked it - i went in knowing that many people i trust had liked it - but surprising because i hadn't seen something like this in indie italian cinema in a while.
this is the story of two old drunkards who have been friends for life, moving around veneto in an old car to find "the last one for the road". arriving in venice, they meet a young, shy, awkward student at a graduation party and bring him along in their lastest drunk escapade.
there's not much of a plot. the movie, like the main trio, seems to drift around country roads and decrepit villages with no real destination in mind - but the whole point of it is exactly this: it doesn't matter where you are going or even if you are going somewhere, what matters is the people you are travelling with and the time you're spending moving instead of choosing immobility.
lastly, it is an eulogy to the concept of 'terra' (land) losing its last battle against the more productive and sanitized 'territorio' (territory) and leaving us all without our roots in the name of an economic expansions that serves nobody but the rich.
if you like italy but are tired of the stereotypical and over-romanced portray of american tv or mainstream italian cinema, this is a small gem. don't miss it.
bonus: italian hardcore uncles il teatro degli orrori's very own lead singer pierpaolo capovilla plays one of the two drunkards and manages to be very funny most of the time.