Light-hearted fun with bits of depth
Added 5/23/2009
Do you ever wonder how other people view you?
Do you ever wish you could get back the one you let go?
Do you remember wanting to lose your virginity just to get it over with?
Do you like stunning scenery and a solid soundtrack?
Do you like a little Bollywood number now and then?
Then this is the movie for you!
Made me laugh, made me smile & made me just a tad introspective.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Romance, like Ginger & Cinnamon, is the Spice of Life.
Added 1/2/2009
I recently saw this delightfully quirky, Italian "comedy-of-errors" on The Sundance Channel. Ginger and Cinnamon (Dillo con parole mie, which translates as, "Say it with my Words") tells the story of a 14-year-old girl, Megghy (Martina Merlino), determined to lose her virginity to her 30-year-old aunt Stefania's (Stefania Montorsi) ex-boyfriend, Andreas (Giampaolo Morelli), while vacationing on the Ios Island in Greece. Through their series of misadventures, whereas Megghy ultimately discovers what it means to be a woman, her aunt Stefania loses the inhibitions of that come with her maturity. There are five good reasons to experience this rare film:
1. The beautiful Mediterannean scenery;
2. The insightful relationship dialogue;
3. The eclectic soundtrack, which features songs by Culture Club, The Village People, Ali Farka Touré, and Real World artists like Pina, Temple of Sound, and Los de Abajo;
4. The fun musical sequence between Stefania Montorsi and Giampaolo Morelli on the bus; and
5. The unpredictable plot twists, scene changes, and misadventures that make up the film.
G. Merritt
2 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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harmless fluff, only mildly entertaining
Added 8/4/2008
Meggy, a silly Italian 14-year-old intent on losing her virginity, takes a trip to a Greek island -- "the Island of Love" -- with her 30-year-old aunt, Stephania, who has just broken off an eight-year relationship. The island seems to be populated solely by young people intent on partying, drinking, sun-bathing, getting high and making love.
Various trivial complications ensue, the ex-boyfriend shows up and proves to be just as moody and immature as everyone else -- and there is also a weird Bollywood interlude where the principals lip-sync and dance to a song hailing the positive attributes of smoking.
The main attraction here is Meggy's strange misconceptions of what it means to be an adult -- but all the characters are terminally childish, shallow and uninteresting.
Sorry, can't really recommend this much. It's pretty harmless like eating cotton candy, but not very nutritious.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Hard to shake off the overwhelmingly annoying character of Megghy
Added 3/1/2008
Ginger and Cinnamon has some funny moments. We thought it was cute and enjoyable fluff and - as others have noted here - it's interesting to get a slice-of-life look at party island life in Greece, literally and no doubt accurately depicted as swarmed by young singles from around the world. One of director Daniele Luchetti's interesting touches is to intersperse eight or so moments where real-life revelers introduce themselves to the camera. No doubt this movie sent the tourist travel to Ios Island through the roof...as if it needed it.
Not much to say about the movie itself. It was pretty hard for me to shake off the overwhelmingly annoying character of Megghy (Martina Merlino) as a self-centered 14-year-old ham-handedly attempting to lose her virginity. We needed less of Merlino and more of the winsome Stefania Montorsi - naturally beautiful and likable in the Giovanna Mezzogiorno mold.
3 out of 4 people found this helpful.
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Nonsensical Drivel
Added 7/28/2007
The trailer for "Ginger and Cinnamon" made me laugh aloud, so against my better judgment I rented the DVD. WOW - Viewers will really have to suspend disbelief for this one. Since when does an adult in charge of a minor (a 14 year old girl determined to lose her virginity, no less) let her charge run unsupervised day and night on a partying Greek island? The over abundance of coincidences are eye-rolling as well. Speaking of eyes, I nearly had to put toothpicks in mine to stay awake before the movie ended.
Nevertheless, I'm giving "Ginger and Cinnamon" a generous three stars, since it is merely dopey instead of obnoxiously offensive, and I realize that "dopey" equals "entertaining" to some. In addition, one can get a glimpse of Greece. In Italian, with subtitles.
3 out of 6 people found this helpful.
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