Along the Ridge (2006)

Watched this film tonight and it had a big impact on me. I related to the family and was interested how it panned out as I was brought up in a single parent family. I know what those kids went through, I knew the pain of the father trying to hold a job and bring up the kids. The acting was top notch and nothing seemed forced. It reflected a slice of life that people don't always think about. They were content and not that poor but fairly poor.Tommi was perfect in his role as was viola his sister. They had a great camaraderie between them and the acting was natural. The children in the school felt like they belonged in another era, their behavior seemed to be impeccable and something I wish we could see in todays society. A great directorial debut and I will always come back to this gem.

To tell you the god's truth the movie or maybe it's better to say the story did not catch me that much, but since I have a huge passion for Italian culture I liked the movie because it kind of showed an aspect of modern Italian life although very limited and basic.the story could be more touching, I feel like whenever the audience is going to get connected to the plot and the story the passion that should lead the audience to get connected to the movie gets cut ! After I made it crystal clear that I did not like the story and expected more I have a confession to make! I loved the casting. the actors and actresses were chosen perfectly. Kim Rossi Stuart , not just looked so good with beard but the beard suited him well to play a mature man and a father. the children had similarities in their face features with the Rossi and the actress playing the role of the mother.getting such a strong acting out of children is so hard but Rossi did a great job both as a director and actor.It is not a Sicilian story nor a hot cat walk show in Milan but really worths watching even just for the good acting.

Kim is relaxed, acting and directing beautifully, fantastic debut as a first time director. He has somehow managed to achieve with Alessandro Morace the kind of performance from a child that does not exist anymore. Children in current films have become insufferable, overacting, distracting hammy, annoying elements in film today. Though now that I have said it I realize they are not much different than the adults. All the actors in this film were excellent, the story compelling and it is the first time I have ever seen a character, like my own father, portrayed so perfectly on film and also the reactions of the child. I understood the characters in this film so well that it was unbearably painful for me to watch.

This film is about a family of four and told through the character of Tommi, an 11-year old boy. His sister is a nuisance, and he has trouble getting friends in school.The mother of the family has some psychological issues and disappears for weeks, then returns for a few weeks of nuclear family bliss.The father is a poor, stressed out cameraman struggling to find work. He goes from loving and caring role-model-father to angry, rampaging mad in seconds.The tensions between all four members of the family are really done well, the film is believable and very emotional. Both adults and children in this story give great acting performances.