What Did I Just Watch?: Italian Film “Something New”
Young men of 19 dream about women, but often in the abstract, a singular of plurals. Rarely does a love triangle, or God blessings be, two at the same time, occur. But Luca, in Something New has it all figured out.
It all starts when he goes home with a very drunk Maria (blonde on the left). Upon awaking she believes him to be gone and lets her very angry friend Lucia (brunette on the right) into her apartment. Maria, stricken with guilt and bimboism, leaves to go buy pastries while Lucia cleans (?) for some reason. But she is not alone. Luca, the 19 year old boy who Maria may or may not have raped (a term that’s far less of a big deal in a place like Europe) is actually in the apartment. Turns out he’s not mad about being possibly raped by a much older but very attractive woman and immediately initiates again…with Lucia, who acts disgusted but is very much into him. So much so that she pretends like she was the one who brought him home and she convinces him that she is “cold in the day but hot at night.” I know the type.
Maria returns and this creates an awkward interaction where they pretend to be each other in order to get out of the uncomfortable situation they have placed each other in. Luca is stricken with love, perhaps for both of them and like an absolute Euro creep he waits outside Maria’s apartment, thinking it is Lucia’s. The two go out for coffee. Later he does the same with Lucia and it creates an actual pattern of him meeting both during the day. Apparently in Europe you have a shit ton of time to go out to coffee with adults. I wouldn’t know. I live in America, which is practically a fascist country at this point. See, Luca, who has recently broken up with his age appropriate girl friend has a theory: women spend the first half of their lives making plans and the second half undoing them and this manifests in behaviors like cleaning, nagging and just being uptight in general. His ex wanted to be a doctor and wore a sthethescope on her neck. Crazy shit.
So both women begin sleeping with Luca, behind each other’s back and he feels like The Truth. He’s no Paul Pierce but he’s a dawg and it shows. And eventually he begins to figure it out. See, while he’s been meeting each woman each day, they haven’t actually been talking to each other. They have no idea what’s going on. This sets up a dynamite scene later in the film….
In truth this movie may feel like porn subplot stacked on top of porn sub plot but, surprisingly for a European film, there is no nudity. Shocking, I know. There’s probably like 10 implied sex scenes, but implied sex could be anything. But yes, this movie did have some very “me and my milf” elements, not the least of which is Luca’s clear mommy issues, which stem from her kicking his father out when he was very young. He has no idea what to do with that, so like many a himbo, he takes martial arts. He’s a big strong man, so he thinks,
I try to avoid spoilers when possible (such as here) and I prefer to keep it brief. So I’ll tell you what I liked, what I loved and what I hated. What I hated: nothing. I had a good time. Engaging characters, edge of your seat romantic drama. Sucker for that of course. And also, a very cultural plot and setting. It didn’t cater- it was a European film for Europeans. I respect that. Film belongs to its people and their ideals. It’s a business because we love it, not the other way around.
What I loved: the characters, the writing, the pacing and the shot choice. I liked the camera work and general structure of this film. I felt these two elements worked well in making a movie that flowed within its scope, creating a balanced and centered movie. No solo character scenes- give me two of our three at once at all times. It made me feel obligated to keep watching. And it worked out. I was glued to the screen the whole time.
The chemistry between the three leads was great and made me wish there was a sequel. The script gave us plenty of soft context that explained why characters do what they do. The pacing gives us plenty of breathing room but also some tense moments that make you wonder where the interaction will go next. I felt the use of space in this film was important, from the large talking spaces of Maria’s living room and Lucia’s concerts to the smaller, more intimate areas such as Luca’s room or Lucia’s car. There was a tangible sense of when a scene was closing in around two characters and a clear distinction of privacy and publicity.
The light touch with which this movie handles the taboo of both the older woman, much younger man relationship is admirable and the film gives it just the right amount of focus while not obsessing over it too much. The ending of this film is mildly shocking (again, no spoilers) but it is very much heartwarming in it own, not built to last, unrealistic way. But I like a nice pick-me up and this movie was absolutely that.
The acting is impeccable as well, with all three characters balancing acting within an archetype and bringing their own life to the character through body language and vocal emphasis. The trio’s excellent chemistry absolutely shines in the final few minutes of the movie. The movie feels a bit cozy and small but it is wise to use such a small scope because it doesn’t dilute the performance of the three leads and also keeps unnecessary sequences from bogging down the film. A common mistake many films make is trying to be bigger than they need to be.
I think this movie certainly isn’t for everyone but it could be for anyone. A lovable and plucky rom-com with just enough deviance to make you raise an eyebrow and understated but classy leading ladies. I don’t really vibe with romance films (he says despite writing two straight reviews on foreign rom-coms) but I liked this one a lot. Maybe it’s me. Maybe I’m going soft. I don’t know but if liking this movie is a side effect of that it could be much worse.
