Someone asked me one day which person in history I would want to have lunch with. While Julius Caesar, Jesus Christ, Napoleon or George Washington may have been good candidates, I couldn't think of a name that appealed more to me than Nanni Moretti. Over the last 25 years, starting with the exceptional Palombella Rossa, Nanni Moretti has had an uninterrupted streak of masterpieces including Caro Diario, The Son's Room, The Caiman, We Have a Pope, Mia Madre and Three Floors, to name a few, which rank among the best films made in that time period, and make Nanni Moretti one of the greatest living filmmakers.
With that track record, I imagine Moretti could only disappoint. And disappoint he does with A Brighter Tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, we are still talking about one of the best filmmakers in the world, one that certainly knows how to make a good movie. But this one feels miles behind his other films. One of the things that hit you is how self-referential it is. From the name of the circus in the film (Budavari, a reference to Palombella Rossa) to the obsession with shoes (a reference to his earlier films, in particular Bianca) to a scene playing with a soccer ball (a reference to Caro Diario), it feels reheated, almost vain, from a filmmaker who always looked decidedly into the future. And this feeling of lack of ideas is made worse by abundant references to classic films, in particular those of Fellini.
In a way, these shortcomings arise from the subject of the film itself: it is ultimately about the gap between Moretti's values, represented by his films and his film culture, and today's world. But the issue is the message feels conveyed without passion, which has been the one constant in his filmography to this day. A Brighter Tomorrow therefore disappoints. We can only hope for Moretti's next film and remember all of his previous ones.
With that track record, I imagine Moretti could only disappoint. And disappoint he does with A Brighter Tomorrow. Don't get me wrong, we are still talking about one of the best filmmakers in the world, one that certainly knows how to make a good movie. But this one feels miles behind his other films. One of the things that hit you is how self-referential it is. From the name of the circus in the film (Budavari, a reference to Palombella Rossa) to the obsession with shoes (a reference to his earlier films, in particular Bianca) to a scene playing with a soccer ball (a reference to Caro Diario), it feels reheated, almost vain, from a filmmaker who always looked decidedly into the future. And this feeling of lack of ideas is made worse by abundant references to classic films, in particular those of Fellini.
In a way, these shortcomings arise from the subject of the film itself: it is ultimately about the gap between Moretti's values, represented by his films and his film culture, and today's world. But the issue is the message feels conveyed without passion, which has been the one constant in his filmography to this day. A Brighter Tomorrow therefore disappoints. We can only hope for Moretti's next film and remember all of his previous ones.