Un bacio

I've never seen a movie with a gay theme that holds as much entertainment value for straights, gays, men, or women as this movie. It has it all, and it ends most remarkably.

Imagine, if you can, a Italian (English subtitled) movie featuring all the qualities of a flip gay musical that suddenly turns into a traumatic and beautifully-scored but star-crossed love affair, and then ends with power, pathos, and a strong message. That's Un Bacio.

The actors are superb--a gay boy Lorenzo played by the almost too pretty Rimau Grillo Ritzberger, a girl Blu played by the beautiful Valentina Romani, and a straight boy Antonio played by the stunningly handsome Leonardo Pazzagli (pronounced pahtz-EYE-ee). They play three best-of-friends, more or less outsiders at their high school. But Lorenzo falls in love with Antonio, who falls in love with Blu, who loves an another man out of school. It's obviously complicated, and it only gets more so when Lorenzo finally shows his affection for an unreceptive Antonio. The drama builds from there in traumatic scenes that anyone who has suffered unrequited love can understand. The heaviest scenes are scored perfectly to songs like Hurts and Read All About It...so perfectly that you will want re-watch these scenes many times.

Here I must stop. An enormous spoiler is possible, and I will not go there. I will say only that is a movie with beautiful sets, beautiful music, beautiful faces, powerful acting, sadness, tragedy, love, joy, and a message. Ask yourself how often you see a movie with all of that.

Just don't quit at the butterflies and musical interludes. They'll make more sense in retrospect. This movie is...what is the Italian word?....oh, yes...

FANTASTICO!!