Ciao

There is a lot of praise for this little movie. It's well enough deserved as the atmosphere created by the photography is intimate and quiet.

Mark, the principle character, suffers the death of his close friend by an accident. Andrea is a friend that Mark never heard of from his now deceased friend. Mark invites Andrea to visit as the plans were already made before the accident. Andrea is in Italy, Mark is in Texas.

This sort of threw me as it is never made fully known how the deceased friend came to know Andea, other than through the internet. Andrea gets around we learn through his conversations with Mark. In my opinion Andrea is a paid escort but he never confesses this to Mark as he discovers that Mark is a very old friend of the dead guy and had great respect for him. Andrea has feelings and doesn't want to disillusion Mark with his true purpose for the visit.

Andrea goes back to Italy. I state this because Andrea comes across as patronizing and insincere.

This film is not just unique it is also very unusual in that it simply does not live up to the preconceived hype associated with films in this genre. First of all, the director's style is fantastic because unlike every director on the planet he does not move the camera. Each shot is like a still life. This probably will drive some people crazy, but I loved it. Then there is the story. You just never know what is going to happen and eventually you realize nothing does happen. In this day and age when every scene in a movie is supposed to move the story forward, this film absolutely stands still so that combined with the non moving camera the film is like a series of still photos which in itself is quite abstract and surreal. The two leads are both very handsome and very charming and engaging. But the lack of action combined with the still-life photography really gives the two leads a great deal of character and depth that you just do not see in today's films.

I recently saw 'Ciao' at a film festival in Australia and it turned out to be one of my favorites. I think it beautifully captured the cautious and quiet interactions we have with people who we barely know and who are from another country and culture. It was also a wonderful example of how we relate to another person who was unknown to us yet deeply loved the same person that we ourselves have loved. The common ground that two people have when they have both independently loved a third is thoughtfully explored.

This movie is for those who love to think about (and ponder) dialog. It is also for people who enjoy a solid script delivered by actors that quietly deliver the goods. To me it was both believable and possible, which made it even more endearing. I was afraid that the film was going to go in a predictable direction and have a Hollywood style ending but this temptation was (thankfully) resisted. Instead the audience was provided with a very moving, heart warming, and realistic conclusion. I felt the movie was full of meaning, but you had to be listening and patient. The movie was about the journey of two people who shared common ground and the connection between them because of it. I recommend it highly.

I see others who reviewed this movie didn't care much for it, but I personally really enjoyed it. I thought the script was well written and included a lot of details that are sometimes left out of movies. The story line had me interested the whole way through. Definitely a movie to watch when you feel like relaxing as it isn't fast moving and the characters/actors are kinda quiet and "tread lightly" through the movie. That being said, it made for a more interesting movie to me as it left more to my imagination and had me glued to the TV begging for things to go the way I wanted them to. I would definitely like to see more from these actors but so far it seems that they aren't in a lot of films. I hope they plan to do more!

This was a wonderfully subtle film. Although primarily focusing on Jeff and Andrea, there was always a powerful third character present- the overwhelming and mind-numbing grief both men felt for Mark.

That grief was practically tangible throughout the entire film and I think those that enjoyed the film recognize that. And to those that say that the film felt disjointed and stilted, I say that it was a perfect expression of that intense grief.

I liked the fact the fact that they (Andrea and Jeff) became intimate the way they did, it was sensual and plausible and more meaningful than any sort of a trope hookup. The minimalist music was fantastic and again, the stretches of absolute silence in the film added to the sensation of grief and loss. The ending worked for me as well, giving both men the reminder that there is a future without Mark, and that just maybe that future could include each other.