A season of Italian films...

Over five days, a flurry of acclaimed films were specially screened at BFI Southbank as part of Cinema Made in Italy in London, sponsored by the British Film Institute and Rome's Cinecittà studios. I caught six of the films, and I spoke with two of my long-time favourites: actor-filmmaker Valeria Golino and director Isabel Coixet (interviews to come). There was a clear focus this year on women's stories, which provided a superb point of view to a variety of powerful stories. Here are notes on the films I watched...

La Gioia [aka Joy]
dir Nicolangelo Gelormini; with Valeria Golino, Saul Nanni 25/It ***.
Brisk and involving, this Italian drama pulls us in with characters who have vivid internal lives, including yearnings for companionship that are easy to identify with. At the centre, this is the story of a complex relationship, and director Nicolangelo Gelormini inventively depicts how it awakens the heart of a woman who had given up hope for herself. This is a dark, multi-layered story full of ideas that get deep under the skin.

The Last One for the Road [Le Città di Pianura]

dir Francesco Sossai; with Filippo Scotti, Sergio Romano 25/It ****

Set in Veneto (the original title translates ironically as The Cities of the Plain), this lively comedy deconstructs the road movie genre as three men travel in circles looking for their next final drink together. While highlighting local culture and landscapes, director-cowriter Francesco Sossai cleverly explores generational issues using offhanded comedy. It's such a charmer of a film that it's impossible to watch without a smile on your face.

Three Goodbyes  [Tre Ciotole]
dir Isabel Coixet; with Alba Rohrwacher, Elio Germano 25/It ****
Diving straight into the life of a long-term couple, this Italian drama immediately finds resonance with its authentic dialog and transparent performances. This isn't easy watch, as it circles the disintegration of a relationship. But director-cowriter Isabel Coixet balances the pain by filling the screen with honest emotion, warm humour and genuine affection. This is a lovely, involving film with something important to say.

Fuori [aka Outside]
dir Mario Martone; with Valeria Golino, Matilda De Angelis 25/It ***.
Recounting the story of noted Italian actress and author Goliarda Sapienza, hinging around her brief but life-changing stint in prison, this slightly overlong film jumps around in time, which can be a little tricky to keep up with. But director Mario Martone grounds each scene in earthy realism, while Valeria Golino delves deeply under the lead character's skin. There's nothing remotely simple about this offbeat portrait of an artist.

A Brief Affair [Breve Storia d'Amore]
dir-scr Ludovica Rampoldi; with Pilar Fogliati, Adriano Giannini 26/It ****
Opening amusingly with a chess game that includes a boxing interlude, this Italian comedy takes an offhanded approach to illicit attraction. Writer-director Ludovica Rampoldi playfully explores a fling that slides into a relationship. Then as the comedy becomes increasingly dark, the film builds some rather bonkers tension. But even if it starts to feel silly, it's impossible to look away. And it ends with a series of proper kicks.

Heads or Tails? [Testa o Croce?]
dir Alessio Rigo de Righi, Matteo Zoppis; with Nadia Tereszkiewicz, Alessandro Borghi 25/It ***
From Italy, this beefy Western is told through the eyes of a woman who finds herself on the wrong side of the law with a handsome buttero, or cow-herder. Director-cowriter Alessio Rigo de Righi creates traditional genre imagery in terrific Italian locations while adding artful internalised touches that see into the characters' thoughts. The film has a meandering plot and a jaunty tone, finding edgy humour while poking fun at cliches.

NB. Full reviews will be posted on the website when these films are released in the UK and/or US. At this point, only The Last One for the Road has distribution, 1st May in the US and 10th July in the UK

Britain on Film: Thousands of stories

The British Film Institute launched its latest initiative Britain on Film on Tuesday with a powerfully personal presentation exploring a range of film footage shot since the dawn of cinema: home movies, newsreels, amateur productions and some fictional films. This includes the first known home movie ever shot (in 1902 Bognor Regis). When it's complete, more than 10,000 films will be available digitally through the BFI's online streaming service. Some 2,500 went online this week.

In the clips shown at the press launch, I was especially surprised to see scenes shot in four places I have called home in Britain over the past 23 years. There's a hilarious sequence shot in Bradford, in which an aspiring mogul attempts to shoot a Bollywood epic just outside Ilkley. In Ayot St Lawrence, Hertfordshire, the playwright George Bernard Shaw has a rather surreal afternoon with Danny Kaye in 1951. There's a pet show at Alexandra Palace, proving that scenes of cute kittens didn't start with YouTube. And the morning's event concluded with a live performance from musical duo Public Service Broadcasting, using edited clips from the 1940 doc London Can Take It!, showing the city's resilience in the face of German bombs. This was especially poignant as the launch event was held on the 10th anniversary of the 7/7 terrorist attacks.

In the UK, visitors to the Britain on Film section of the BFI website (specifically: player.bfi.org.uk/britain-on-film) can click on a map to find footage from all over England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Being brand new, the site is a bit glitchy at the moment (I couldn't locate any of the clips mentioned above), but is sure to become smoother and easier to use over the coming months.