Noches mágicas

"Notti Magiche" may not be "Il Capitale Umano", but it is close enough. It is a tragicomical, pictoresque portrayal of classic Italian cinema at its decline.

Virzì's latest film tells the story of three young screenwriters who, in the summer of 1990, are introduced to the world of filmmaking, and progressively get disillusioned as they are involved in an industry that rather than developing a form of art seems to crunch any form of artistic interpretation or depth between the wheels of its 'machine', a system that slowly transforms the screenwriters' works in something much less valuable than what the young protagonists envisioned. Casting and marketing choices aimed only to please the public, nepotism, screenplay ghost-writing and even physical abuses are themes that are tackled.

While the depth of the themes is evident, the tone of the film isn't exactly dark. Just as Virzì's "Il Capitale Umano", it is enjoyably melancholic, a real example of tragicomedy.

The film is set during a year when italian cinema was partly fading: the great, classic movie directors, like Fellini, Leone, Rosellini, Visconti and others were all already at the end of their careers or deceased (though Tornatore had just won an Oscar with 'Nuovo Cinema Paradiso'). I find it interesting that this period is re-explored in a film released following a year (2017) of crisis for italian cinema, due to a historically low income from italian releases. 2018 definitely seems a redemptive year, thanks to Garrone's 'Dogman', Sorrentino's 'Loro', Sollima's 'Soldado' (although an US production), the Netflix original 'Sulla mia Pelle', and now, with Paolo Virzì's 'Notti Magiche'.

This film just worked for me on so many levels. On the surface it is a fast paced caper about three aspiring screenwriters who meet in Rome in 1990 and end up being investigated over the death of a washed up film producer at a time when Italian cinema was still in the thrall of a generation of ageing great directors and exhausted by commercial constraints and cynicism. Being a film about screenwriters it is full of verbal fireworks that will leave even the speedier subtitle reader flailing in its wake and being a film about Italian cinema it is full of philosophical asides and in-jokes th a cheerfully flee over my head as I went along for the ride. It is also a film about Italian people that is full of mishap, furious romantic misunderstandings, sharply observed misogyny. Lastly it's a film about life, the freewheeling camerawork follows our heroes fearlessly through cinemas and film sets, cafes, bars, hillside villas, basement apartments and the streets of Rome, it is a dizzying and chaotic ride ( the similarities to Fellini's La Dolce Vita are not accidental) But beneath all the business and sophistication this film is also s plea for a more engaged and observational cinema. It is a film that rewards curiosity and finds its heart.

The plot takes place in Rome in the early 90s during the world soccer cup (lost by Italy). Three young, would-be scriptwriters, winners of a literary prize are the main characters: Antonino from Sicily, Luciano from Tuscany and Eugenia from Rome.

The three become fast friends and quickly get immersed in the decadent, weird and tricky world of Italian cinema. After its heydays in the 60s, the Italian scene is stagnant and most protagonists well past their prime. All that the young and naive youngsters seem destined to have is a future as ghost-writers, but are they interested or too disgusted by what they discover?

To complicate matters, the murder of an ageing producer takes place just after a dinner the three shared with him and his young lover. The "investigation" is a flashback in their recent past and an entertaining, slightly nostalgic but also ironic ride in the recent past.

Interesting to notice that the screenplay of the movie was written by Piccolo, Archibugi and Virzí (who also directed the movie) who provided a fictional version of their younger selves, each coming from the same region as their counterpart and having started their career as scriptwriters in the early 90s.