To Be Twenty

I have seen a shortened cut of "Avere Vent'Anni" but now I've watched the full-length version twice and there's a lot more to this film than some people seem to think. Fun is poked at bourgeois society, at self-important males doing jobs they think are important (store detectives, police inspectors), at a rich lesbian, at transcendental meditation, in short at many facets of seventies' life in Italy. Even the two female leads come in for their share. The ending can be seen as having nothing to do with the story, but I think there's more to it: while the girls just flit through life taking nothing seriously except having a good time, lurking at almost every corner is the reality of corrupt policemen and unscrupulous gangsters - the nasty side of the real world ... and in the end that will be their downfall.

In his 1978 film "Avere vent'anni" (To Be Twenty), director Fernando Di Leo attempts to capture the essence of youth, rebellion, and the complexities of growing up during a tumultuous era in Italy. Starring Gloria Guida and Lili Carati as two young women embarking on a journey of self-discovery, the film offers an intriguing blend of drama, comedy, and social commentary. However, despite its promising premise and some noteworthy performances, the movie ultimately falls short of delivering a truly memorable experience.

The film follows Lia (Gloria Guida) and Tina (Lili Carati) as they escape their restrictive lives in search of freedom and adventure. Their journey takes them from the countryside to the bustling city, where they encounter a variety of characters and situations that challenge their beliefs and force them to confront their own naivety. As they navigate their way through this new world, they must also grapple with issues such as sexuality, politics, and the ever-present threat of violence.

One of the film's strongest aspects is its depiction of the social and political climate of 1970s Italy. Di Leo does an excellent job of capturing the tension and unrest that permeated the country during this time, as well as the sense of disillusionment felt by many young people. The film's exploration of these themes adds a layer of depth and relevance that elevates it above a simple coming-of-age tale.

Another highlight of "Avere vent'anni" is the chemistry between Gloria Guida and Lili Carati. Their performances as Lia and Tina are both engaging and believable, effectively conveying the sense of excitement, confusion, and trepidation that comes with being on the cusp of adulthood. The bond between their characters is palpable, and their friendship serves as the emotional core of the film.

However, despite these strengths, "Avere vent'anni" suffers from a number of flaws that prevent it from reaching its full potential. One of the most glaring issues is the film's uneven tone, which oscillates between serious drama and slapstick comedy without ever finding a satisfying balance. This inconsistency can be jarring at times, and it often undermines the emotional impact of certain scenes.

Additionally, the movie's pacing can be sluggish, with some sequences feeling overly drawn out and others rushing through important plot points. This unevenness makes it difficult to fully invest in the story or the characters, and it contributes to a sense of disjointedness that permeates the film.

In conclusion, "Avere vent'anni" is a film with both commendable qualities and significant flaws. While its exploration of 1970s Italian society and the performances of Gloria Guida and Lili Carati are certainly noteworthy, the movie's uneven tone and pacing issues ultimately detract from its overall impact. Despite these shortcomings, however, the film remains an intriguing, if flawed, examination of youth, rebellion, and the search for identity during a tumultuous period in history.

I had seen this before but in the much altered English language version without the the awful denouement of this original cut. Some consider the difficult and explicitly violent end rather inappropriate and not in keeping with the rest of the film. But, Fernando Di Leo was a fine director who also wrote much of the films he made, including this one and most of his films had a strong political stance. His, Caliber 9 is a great crime thriller example and this is a very decent sexploitation one. The lovely Gloria Guida is a bit led astray by the character played by Lilli Carati, as the cheat, steal and generally behave obnoxiously in the name of freedom. I don't know how realistic the commune presented here was in Italy but it doesn't seem like any other I've seen depicted. Even Valerie Solanas' S.C.U.M manifesto gets quoted here in the name of feminism and it is about at this stage (when a film maker is introduced) that we begin to realise what a gigantic swipe the writer/director is taking at the counter culture and its opponents. Nobody comes out of this well and the brilliantly directed ending will haunt for some time.

Applying a simplistic, hypocritical morality to this sleazy tale, the filmmaker (Fernando di Leo) gets to have it both ways. His camera captures every lurid detail of multiple sex scenes and takes every opportunity to savor the fine flesh of the tasty leads (Gloria Guida and Lilli Carati). He then condemns the women for being "sluts" and brutally reprimands them for their behavior.

"To Be Twenty" is a highly watchable story about two twenty-year-old free spirits whose youth and naivety bring on their destruction. Ninety per cent of the film graphically depicts the girls in a series of wild and frivolous adventures. Staples of 70's cinema such as drugs, politics, the generation gap, communal living and free sex are thrown into a mix to produce an enjoyable cinematic cocktail that captures the ennui of the period.

The film's surprising last stanza sounds a mean-spirited warning to women who freely advertise their sexuality without any intention of providing it. It is a nihilistic, barbaric, angry scene of human carnage that echoes the darkest aspects of "Last House on the Left", "Straw Dogs" and "I Spit On Your Grave".

A recurring song is used to potent effect over the end credits and the lead characters are brought to vivid life by the talented Guida and Carati.

Recommended.

Hippie-exploitation movies aren't my cup of tea, but I honestly thought this was worth an exception based on the names involved. Fernando Di Leo is the writer/director of some of the most brutally violent and uncompromising Poliziotesschi movies, Ray Lovelock starred in many classics in that same sub-genre, and Gloria Guida and Lilli Carati, well... they're both just incredibly hot. Alas, though, even in this film all the annoying trademarks of hippie flicks are inevitable. I'm referring to a senseless plot, passive lead characters, unbelievable dumb weirdos in the supportive cast, copious amounts of pointless dancing footage, and a lot of hinting at sex-sequences that never come.

Beautiful brunette Tina and her even more beautiful blond friend Lia are - to put it in their own words - young, hot, and very angry with the world. They travel to Rome, where they join a sort of commune and get in all sorts of trouble. That's pretty much the only synopsis I can give. There's one very enjoyable sequence, namely when the brunette goes out to sell encyclopedias (yes, really!) and drives a university professor insane by making him believe she gets aroused from hearing the word "culture". Everything else is beyond pathetic, like a roommate dressed up as a meditating Pierrot (Leopoldo Mastelloni), and another lunatic who's dressed like "Where's Waldo?" (Vincenzo Crocciti).

"To Be Twenty" is somewhat notorious for featuring an extremely sick and misogynistic climax that totally doesn't fit the overall tone of the film. True, it's very sick, but it doesn't make the film any better or more interesting whatsoever. I also don't understand what Di Leo meant to say with this climax. Does he feel the girls get what they deserve? Is the moral of the story that women are the weaker sex? Or maybe simply that it's too dangerous for women to be traveling alone? All three options are loathsome, in fact.