Ciao (2008)

Ciao (2008)

Director: Yen Tan
Scenario: Alessandro Calza, Yen Tan
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Year: 2008
Duration: 87 min
Rating: 7.6/10

Actors: Adam Neal Smith, Alessandro Calza, Ethel Lung, Chuck Blaum, John S. Boles, Margaret Lake, Tiffany Vollmer, Myrtle Andrews, Frederick Anthony, Brian Cannon, Steve M. Clark, Cole D. Croghan, Robert A. Davis, Douglas Demaio, Larry Jack Dotson, Juli Erickson, Bob Fanucchi, Shelley Fisher, Brian Scott Fitzgerald, Chad Ford, Angela Gerardo, George Harding III, Lauren Jill Harvey, Michael E. Harvey, Jeff Hickok, Jonathan Hieftje, Grace Holley, Patrick Hughett, Grant James, Cedrick Johnson, Johnny L. Jones, Roger D. Jones, Hannah Kim, Kathy Kreis, Amy Kushnir, Mark Lane, Corey McArthur, Lumbie Mlambo, Erica Newhart, Karin M. Nielsen, Clementina Plasencia, Jeffrey S. Poteat, Delia Rose, Michael J. Rowbottom, Victoria Session, Colby J. Smith, Nicole Smith, Zachary B.K. Splawn, David Taffet, Nadine Taplin, Heather Temple, Justin Wallis, Jennifer Wheeler, Nicolas Wohr

Description:

Baš je teško kad izgubiš nekoga koga jako voliš. Ne znam kako vi ali ja potpuno prolupam i treba mi dosta vremena da se oporavim nakon toga. Jednom sam čak išao i kod psihijatra! Prije 4 godine. Strahota! Teška lekcija, a naučih da da se pripazim kada su emocije u pitanju! Ne valja baš sve slijepo vjerovati, a kada smo kod povjerenja onda unaprijed tražite samo ono što i sami možete pružiti! Bez laganja samoga sebe i drugoga!
No da ja sada ođe ne glumatam psihijatra za one koji su izgubili voljenog bolje da se vratim malo na ovaj film.

Jeff, 30-togodišnji peder izgubi partnera Marka u saobraćajnoj nesreći. Onako jadan i tužan otkrije da se Mark dopisivao sa jednim italijanskim web dizajnerom Andreom i pošalje mu mail u kojem mu objasni da Marka više nema. Nakon dva tri razmjenjena maila Jeff odluci da pozove Andrea u posjetu i tako obadvojica zadovolje svoju znatiželju.
I nakon nekog vremena Andrea sjeda u avion pa pravac u USA. Tako se upoznaje sa Jeffom, pričaju o Marku i otkrivaju nepoznate detalje o njemu. Film presporo teče. Ko neki usporeni snimak, bezbroj bespotrebnih detalja koji traju toliko da gledaoc naprosto može da zaspe. Na primjer prikaz Jeffove nesanice, vti se po krevetu, ustaje, seta pa opet liježe i dok se sve to izvrti na filmu ja sam zaspao i film nastavio da gledam ujutro!
Inače obadvojica su zgodni muškarci , nimalo feminizirani i kad bi ih sreo najradije bi obadvojicu strpao u krevet. Nadam se da nisu tako usporeni ko na filmu.
Neznam šta da vam kažem još o filu a da ne ispričam cjelu priču. Nije vrijedan bilo kakve hvale, naprosto ako se ubijate od dosade i želite nešto da vas uspava pustite ovaj film u DVD player. Uspavaće vas sigurno.

VARIETY.COM
By RONNIE SCHEIB

A contemplative grace note in NewFest's raucous chorus of self-affirmation, this muted two-hander traces a three-day mourning interlude linking a dead man's lifelong platonic pal to the deceased's Italian lover-in-waiting. Helmer Yen Tan ("Happy Birthday") relies on the contrasting thesping styles of the two leads and a cool, minimalist aesthetic (fixed camera placements within emptying frames) to flesh out his mood piece's slender plot. As full of sexual tension as it is devoid of sexual activity, "Ciao" qualifies as a quietly charged change of pace for the gay fest circuit.

After the sudden death of his best friend Mark, it falls to Jeff (Adam Neal Smith) to put his affairs in order. Discovering that Mark had been conducting an extended, intimate email relationship with a Web designer named Andrea (Alessandro Calza) who was about to come to Dallas, Texas, to meet Mark for the first time, Jeff writes to inform Andrea of Mark's demise and head him off at the pass. Upon reflection, however, he invites Andrea to come to Dallas anyway.


Linked by death, the two men explore previously unknown aspects of Mark previously and, gradually, the strength of their mutual attraction to Mark shifts gears, going beyond concern about the departed middleman to focus directly on their own revved-up (if funereally tinged) chemistry.

Helmer/co-scripter Tan conceives of his two characters as complementing each other within a minor key. Thus, Jeff, an investment banker, reads as a composed, almost emotionally shut-down chap, whether by nature or in reaction to Mark's death or by some combination of both never quite made clear. Indeed, Tan pairs Jeff with female confidante Lauren (Ethel Lung) in certain scenes so he can elucidate his otherwise unspoken feelings.

Andrea, being Italian, necessarily comes off as more expansive (it would be difficult to appear less), albeit in a gentle, comforting way that's at odds with his blatant sexiness: He infuses every situation with a serene acceptance that always seems poised to turn into something far more sensual. Thesping successfully conveys more through silences than through dialogue, though Calza, who co-scripted, phrases his English lines with seductive sensitivity.

Tech credits are above average. Clare Floyd DeVries' subdued production design matches Jeff's quasi-sterile orderliness, while leaving plenty of room for the sexual promise quivering in the air.