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Movies / On DVD / Italian for Beginners
Italian for Beginners

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Italian for Beginners (2002)

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Reviews Counted:81

Fresh:71

Rotten:10

Average Rating:7.2/10

Consensus: Unlike many romantic comedies, the charming Italian for Beginners feels natural and genuinely heart-warming.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language and some sexuality

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Genre: Foreign Films

Theatrical Release:Jan 18, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $4,409,992

Synopsis: In this beautiful, understated film, every character possesses a naive, heartbreaking honesty and every line communicates the sweet simplicity of basic human longing. From Danish director Lone... In this beautiful, understated film, every character possesses a naive, heartbreaking honesty and every line communicates the sweet simplicity of basic human longing. From Danish director Lone Scherfig (ON OUR OWN), ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS uses natural lighting, muted cinematography, and a partially improvised script--falling into the Dogme 95 genre. The film is not about learning Italian, though the film's six thirtysomething characters all meet each other through an Italian class at the community center in their quiet, rainy town. The film is about real life and hardship and hope. A nurturing hair stylist, a clumsy bakery clerk, a committed pastor, a foulmouthed waiter, a friendly hotel manager, and a lonely waitress all struggle with the banality of daily life, while dealing with their own unique challenges. But as they begin to reveal themselves and their problems to each other, they form a bond and a network that is both a safety net and a new reason to live. [More]

Starring: Anders W. Berthelsen, Ann Eleonora Jørgensen, Anette Støvelbæk, Peter Gantzler

Starring: Anders W. Berthelsen, Ann Eleonora Jørgensen, Anette Støvelbæk, Peter Gantzler, Lars Kaalund, Sara Indrio Jensen

Director: Lone Scherfig

Director: Lone Scherfig
Screenwriter: Lone Scherfig
Producer: Ib Tardini
Studio: Miramax Films

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Release:

Oct 15, 2002

[DVD Details]
 
 
  • Italian For Beginners
  • An unforgettable romantic comedy that's earned overwhelming acclaim, ITALIAN FOR BEGINNERS is a warm and playful story about seven perfect strangers and the shared journey of discovery that changes each of their lives! In a small, rainy suburb, a mismatched collection of opposites have signed up for an Italian class in hopes of spicing up their lives! Then, as they realize the class offers them more than just language lessons, they join together on a quest to Italy with the renewed desire to pursue the romances of their lives! Once there, these world-weary students who thought there was nothing left to learn from life will get an education that will change everything they know about love!
  • Source: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
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    Reviews for Italian for Beginners

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    1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
    03/26/09
    Eddie Cockrell
    Eddie Cockrell
    Variety
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A rare delight ... a joyous comedy that is at the same time grounded in real life with characters whose company is a pleasure.

    Full Review Source: Looking Closer | comment Comment
    09/21/07
    Jeffrey Overstreet
    Jeffrey Overstreet
    Looking Closer

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
    12/30/06
    Empire Magazine
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

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    Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
    06/24/06
    Geoff Andrew
    Geoff Andrew
    Time Out
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Zap2it.com | comment Comment
    02/25/04
    Darwyn Carson
    Darwyn Carson
    Zap2it.com
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | comment Comment
    02/21/04
    Atlanta Journal-Constitution
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
    12/15/03
    Alexander Walker
    Alexander Walker
    This is London

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
    05/20/03
    Jim Shelby
    Jim Shelby
    Palo Alto Weekly

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
    01/10/03
    Nick Davis
    Nick Davis
    Nick's Flick Picks

    An incredibly low-rent Danish film, it brings a group of people together in a sweet and charming way, if a little convenient

    Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
    12/18/02
    Karina Montgomery
    Karina Montgomery
    Cinerina

    Scherfig, who has had a successful career in TV, tackles more than she can handle.

    Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
    11/06/02
    Jeff Strickler
    Jeff Strickler
    Minneapolis Star Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    This is a fine ensemble cast.

    Full Review Source: San Diego Metropolitan | comment Comment
    10/21/02
    Jean Lowerison
    Jean Lowerison
    San Diego Metropolitan

    Give Italian a try!

    Full Review Source: KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX) | comment Comment
    10/20/02
    Danny Minton
    Danny Minton
    KBTV-NBC (Beaumont, TX)
    N/R

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: Film Snobs | comment Comment
    10/17/02
    Jimmy O
    Jimmy O
    Film Snobs

    These characters seem refreshingly real in their imperfect selves and their imperfect quest for love and friendship.

    Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
    10/15/02
    Margaret A. McGurk
    Margaret A. McGurk
    Cincinnati Enquirer

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
    09/18/02
    Eric D. Snider
    Eric D. Snider
    EricDSnider.com

    Click to read the article

    Full Review Source: SPLICEDWire | comment Comment
    08/11/02
    Rob Blackwelder
    Rob Blackwelder
    SPLICEDWire

    An engaging Danish movie that rises from the ashes of loneliness and despair to spread feelings of happiness across the screen.

    Full Review Source: Denver Rocky Mountain News | comment Comment
    08/09/02
    Robert Denerstein
    Robert Denerstein
    Denver Rocky Mountain News
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    A rarity: a humane picture about modern romance among believable adults.

    Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
    07/20/02
    Michael Wilmington
    Michael Wilmington
    Chicago Tribune
    Top Critic Icon Top Critic

    Obligada para impotentes, daneses, camareras italianas, profesores de idiomas, y todo aquel que desee una lengua para expresar su amor.

    Full Review Source: Cinenganos | comment Comment
    07/04/02
    Alex Ramirez
    Alex Ramirez
    Cinenganos
     
     
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    Latest News for Italian for Beginners

    January 07, 2002: In this, the latest offering from the Dogma 95 collective of filmmakers, a bunch of hapless Copenhagen thirtysomethings are looking for love in all the wrong places. Opens in new window
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