Pop open your newsfeed, and articles with names like "What's the Rush? 14 Reasons You Shouldn't Marry Young" and "Ten Darn Good Reasons to Get Married and Have Kids Young" are probably clogging it up. Maria Sole Tognazzi's latest cinematic venture adds to that conversation by posing the question, "What is luxury?"
A Five Star Life stars a Meg Ryan-esque character named Irene who travels the world as an undercover five-star hotel inspector. Irene is beautiful, middle aged, and extremely independent. But, of course, in true romantic comedy fashion, this Italian flick features a few minor characters who are there to help the protagonist find more meaning in life and answer a dramatic question.
Music Box FilmsIrene's sister Silvia is married with two children and believes her always-traveling single (and, in her mind, soon-to-be spinster) sister cannot possibly be happy unless she too settles down with a mate and begins procreating. Andrea is Irene's ex-lover turned best friend who finds himself in a sticky situation with another woman, which makes Irene feel as though she's losing him.
Irene suddenly gains full responsibility at her job and travels even more. And she begins to feel pressure from her sister, who says she's being selfish. In Silvia's eyes, if Irene continues in her current lifestyle, the only possible end is loneliness. Can Irene truly be happy if she doesn't settle down and continues following her career path?
Irene's entire life revolves around judging hotels based on their level of luxury. She narrates the film by asking questions: Is the bathroom clean enough? Did the concierge maintain proper eye contact? Did the bus boy offer to unpack the luggage?
The hotels she assesses become symbols of her life: Irene does not have a home, and instead of creating one for herself, she judges the ones she enters. She is hard on her sister and becomes short with Andrea as he moves on with his life. Rather than evaluate her own life and her own level of "luxury" and "comfort," she judges everyone else's.
Is Irene really freer than they are because she has the freedom to travel? Or are Silvia and Andrea actually the ones with more liberty, because they are surrounded by people who love them and will take care of them?
As Irene contemplates whether or not she is truly free or just lonely, she meets a woman who has her own answer to these big questions. Much like Irene, Kate is an older career-driven single woman travelling the world. Kate points to the beautiful hotel around them and says the extravagance surrounding them is a faux-luxury.
Music Box Films"Luxury is the pleasure of a real life lived to the full and full of imperfections," she says.
From that statement, one would think director Maria Sole Tognazzi would side with those who err on the let's-wait-til-we-have-successful-careers-and-have-bungee-jumped-off-the-highest-point-to-think-about-settling-down side. Irene should look down upon her friends and family for settling down.
But, what Kate says next is surprising: "I won't let someone else tell me how to live my life."
Irene takes this to heart; after some other events unravel in her life (I don't want to spoil the film!), she heads home freaking out about how to live this out in her life.
Tognazzi probably wouldn't side with either side of the Facebook debates. She would say that both are right—for different people.
At one point, Irene is exploring picturesque Marrakesh in Morocco while Andrea is hearing his baby's heartbeat for the first time. Irene breathes in the fresh air and stares out at stunning landscapes (which are captured beautifully throughout). Andrea lights up with joy and shares it with someone he cares about. Both scenes are wonderful, inspiring, happy moments. Neither is shown in a bad light.
A Five Star Life winds up pointing out a very biblical principle: whatever you're called to, do it, and do it well. Irene realizes this, too. She realizes that she shouldn't be so hard on her sister and Andrea, because they're on their own journeys. She hates when they judge her. So why should she judge them as though they are a hotel vying for her five-star approval?
A Five Star Life says that you experience luxury when you're able to choose your own path. Irene says, "Happiness and well-being are strictly personal concepts." What feels luxurious to you is being able to focus on what's important to you.
Music Box FilmsThe freedom Irene feels traveling alone and exploring the world isn't greater or more luxurious than Silivia's decision to raise a family. In other words, everyone can live A Five Star Life—where they are.
Caveat Spectator
A Five Star Life is unrated. There are a few profanities sprinkled in here or there, and the f-bomb is dropped a total of three times. The biggest concern for most viewers is the sexual content: one character is impregnated by someone who is not her husband, though the sex is not shown. In another scene, we're to understand that two unmarried characters have sex, but again, it is not shown. We see a male character's rear end for a few seconds while he is changing. An anthropologist talks about pornography, masturbation, and sex, but it is all very analytical and not graphic. There is also sexual talk between a husband and wife, but once again, none shown.
Larisa Kline is CT Movies' summer intern and a student at The King's College in New York City. Follow her on twitter @larisakline.
