Best Italian Movies

My favourite is Luchino Visconti's "Il Gattopardo". I keep on watching it and I always find something new. It is a work of art which does not date.

We like Nuovo Cinema Paradiso a lot

La Vita è bella (Life is Beautiful) is my all time favourite; makes me shed a tear everytime I watch it. I don't think you can get a film with more laughter, joy, heartache and devotion crammed in to a story.

Try Under the Tuscan Sun

Some favourites of ours are : La Vita E Bella, Cinema Paradiso, Ladri di Biciclette, La Dolce Vita and Mediterraneo. I am sure there are plenty of others but these are the ones that instantly come to mind.

Bertolucci's "Millenovecento", "Christ stopped at Eboli" by Francesco Rosi, "L'albero degli zoccoli" (The Tree of Wooden Clogs), by Ermanno Olmi and anything by the Taviani brothers. These are all concerned with C20th Italian history, and nothing like life today - (if it was like that today you probably wouldn't want to come here!) Cinema Paradiso which someone else has recommended is a very lovely film, personally I wouldn't bother with Under the Tuscan Sun.

...........................and enjoyed are Mid August Lunch (funny) and Quiet Chaos (sad). This is an interesting post and we will have to put some of the other suggestions in our DVD rental watch list.

Il ladro dei bambini - a carabinieri told to take two Sicilian children to the orphanage, and instead takes them back to Sicily - heartrending Ricomincio da tre - Massimo Troisi - one of the funniest films but you need to understand Neapolitan A film that i cant remember the title of (can anyone help) a milanese teacher sent to portici (Na) where he slowly learns to understand the mezzogiorno - lovely film - and a modern take on it is Benvenuti al sud which is surprisingly entertaining, and filmed in Castellamare so it looks lovely.

Though the plot is a semi-reverse of your recollection, could the film you are looking for be this? It dates from 1950, and is in b+w. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041409/

its called Io speriamo che mela cavo - watch it!

Thanks so much for all the tips! I can't wait to watch these! I think the only Italian movie I have watched in the last few months was "Pane e Tulipani" (which was very sweet and funny)