Paolo Franchi is one the most interesting directors working in Italy today. E la chiamano estate is a courageous and incredibly stylish film. It is explicit and intimate. Without a doubt one the best films released in Italy in the last few years. The film tries in a very honest way to address the issues of longing and desire and questions the frailties of the male sexual imagination. A man and woman are haunted by the past that lingers on. They cannot live together but they can't be apart as well. They float in a emotional wasteland trying to come to terms with their own desperation. The camera work is astonishing and Franchi's direction is absolutely brilliant. Don't believe the negative hype and watch it with your own eyes. Discover an Italian director that works against the grain of stereotypes.