Last but not least: "Il Compleanno"

In writing these reviews about Atlanta's Italian Film Festival, I forgot to mention that I never write about film and have never worked as a film critic.

Probably painfully obvious, but I mention it because all I'm saying is, I liked these films. And mainly what I want everyone to do is watch Italian films, and maybe these reviews will help get you started or fill you in on the latest releases.

So, the last film I want to mention is "Il Compleanno," which was translated as "David's Birthday."

I liked this film a lot! The cinematography, the music, the characters, the plot -- they all pulled me in right away. These old friends are going to the Italian seaside for the summer, oh how nice, here's your sunny Italian countryside, but wait! You know things are about to go awry.

And much of the trouble, though not all, is spurred by the reappearance of David, the son of one of the couples, who arrives from America.

He's young, he's a fashion model and he appeals to both women and men.

And that's one of the key themes of the film. I should mention at this point that there are those so-called "adult situations" in this film, but in spades. I mean, alla grande. If you're not ready for this, you may want to stay away.

But the way the characters fall apart at the end of the film is so delicious. Particularly the psychoanalyst played by Massimo Poggio. The film also features Alessandro Gassman, a well-known actor in Italy.

All these shrinks want to make it look like they have it all together. Ha ha ha this guy not so much! This guy absolutely and totally self-destructs. And it's fun to watch! In fact, in some scenes the audience actually laughed even though the action was not intended to be funny.

So enjoy "Il Compleanno." I did!