IN THE MOOD FOR WHAT?

“In the mood” is one of the many expressions coined by young people to identify a state of mind, a set of sensations, or a way of being: “being in the right mood”. Being in the mood means feeling like doing something or being somewhere, with an emotional or mental predisposition towards an activity, idea, or feeling. I won’t deny it: I’m not enthusiastic about the now excessive contamination of the language by slang. I’m young, I grew up in the early 2000s, I experienced and probably even contributed to the birth of contemporary slang one way or another, but despite this, I always find myself turning up my nose a bit when I hear people saying “lol” instead of a real laughter, or when they call me “bro” even though we are not related in any way and I’m pretty sure I’m a woman and I look like one. Yet, I like signing off my emails with “Xx”, I call my boyfriend “bro”, and I wouldn’t know how to better explain why “tonight I don’t feel like going out” except by saying that “I’m not in the mood”. And I often find myself blaming my mood, because mood is a fundamental guide for my daily choices. I always carefully choose films and series to watch and books to read based on my mood, for example, which is always variable, but above all very specific: in this period, for instance, I’m in the mood for stories that are “not too realistic – not excessively romantic – perhaps even a bit dramatic – without too much action – not devoid of sentimentality – with the course of romantic intrigues that I dictate”. A criterion for which it’s difficult to find exact matches; yet, to date, I’m often finding what I’m looking for. A mood that’s not universally shareable, that sometimes contradicts itself, but perhaps common enough to dedicate a list of tips for when you want to watch and read something and feel particularly demanding.

To connect the dots: yes, language is beautiful, but we must let it go its own way; yes, contradictions are part of me, part of you; so, here are some perfect fits on what to read and watch when you’re a bit “in my mood”.

In the mood for… A raw and melancholic film

“SMALL THINGS LIKE THESE” BY TIM MIELANTS

An adaptation of Claire Keegan’s novel “Small Things Like These”, this story is set in Ireland in 1985, where we experience some pieces of Bill Furlong’s life (Cillian Murphy). Bill is a humble coal merchant, father of a large family, who discovers the inhumane conditions in which unwed mothers live within a local convent. This discovery leads him to confront his own conscience and the reality of a community that prefers to ignore such injustices. A powerful and touching story about altruism, morality, and the consequences of choices and actions, those that seem temporary but are instead forever.

In the mood for… A sci-fi series to make conjectures about

“SEVERANCE” BY DAN ERICKSON

A perfect cocktail of psychological thriller and science fiction, this TV series created by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller tells the present and past of employees of Lumon Industries, a company that implements a procedure called “severance”, which surgically separates work memories from personal ones of its employees. This intervention creates two distinct identities: one that exists exclusively in the work environment (the “Innies”) and one in private life (the “Outies”).

In the second season, in particular, the latest released to date, the “Innies” have begun to become aware of their condition and are trying to discover the truth behind the shady Lumon. The plot thus thickens, becoming more complex episode by episode, requiring viewers to pay more attention and leaving them with a million unanswered questions, or with answers that seem to always generate new questions. Frustrating, but also incredibly engaging.

In the mood for… A very delicate Italian film

“DICIANNOVE” BY GIOVANNI TORTORICI

A film that will be loved by those who love auteur cinema, Oriental cinema, and Luca Guadagnino’s cinema (whose Frenesy Film Company produced it).

The film tells the story of Leonardo (Manfredi Marini), a 19-year-old boy searching for his path. He leaves Palermo for London with the idea of studying economics, but soon realizes it’s not for him; so, he moves to Siena to study his beloved literature, but not even there does he find what he’s looking for. He then decides to leave university and immerse himself in the study of the great classics on his own, in the unconsciously desperate hope of finding himself and his place in the world. A sincere portrait of the uncertainties and anxieties of young people and, in particular, of the generation of students away from home, of when one is full of dreams but without a precise direction. A film that anyone who has experienced the uncertainty of becoming an adult can feel very close to.

In the mood for… A short book with an unexpected ending

“THE MUSTACHE” BY EMMANUEL CARRÈRE

The protagonist of this story is a mustachioed man who decides one day to shave off his mustache, convinced that friends and family will immediately notice the change. However, to his great surprise, no one seems to notice, in fact, those who know him even deny that he ever had a mustache. What initially seems like a little game between husband and wife quickly transforms into a psychological nightmare: the protagonist finds himself sucked into a spiral of paranoia and anguish, questioning his own memory, his sanity, and his identity. A subtle, disturbing, and crazy psychological thriller that makes us reflect on the fragility of the mind and the danger of losing every reference point. The cherry on top, the open and disturbing ending leaves room for different interpretations, confirming Carrère’s mastery in mixing everyday life and nightmare.

In the mood for… An American film that seems disgusting but then isn’t

“A DIFFERENT MAN” BY AARON SCHIMBERG

We follow the story of Edward Lemuel (Sebastian Stan), an actor suffering from neurofibromatosis type 1, a disease that causes facial deformities. His condition makes him shy and solitary, but his life changes when he befriends his new neighbor, a playwright. After participating in a medical experiment, Edward recovers from the disease and decides to assume a new identity, faking his own death and presenting himself as Guy Moratz, a successful real estate agent. However, his old life continues to haunt him, until the farce complicates with the arrival of Oswald, a man affected by the same disease but who lives his condition serenely. Edward thus finds himself confronting his own insecurities, while the viewer, at the same time, wonders: who is the real “monster” in this story?

In the mood for… A TV series to binge-watch with your mother

“LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY” BY LEE EISENBERG

The series, based on the novel of the same name by Bonnie Garmus, follows the story of Elizabeth Zott (Brie Larson), a talented chemist who in the 1950s struggles to make her way in an academic environment dominated by men. After a course of injustices and obstacles in her scientific career, Elizabeth finds an unusual opportunity to transmit her knowledge: she becomes the host of a television cooking program. But her show goes well beyond simple recipes: against every wish and expectation of the men at the top of the television platform, Elizabeth uses the program to educate and inspire women, teaching them science, emancipation, and independence in an era that wants to relegate them to the role of housewives. Power to the women and a bit of sober romance in the background.

In the mood for… A big book that gives you a lot

“OHIO” BY STEPHEN MARKLEY

We find ourselves in a small town in Ohio, where the lives of four former schoolmates intersect: Bill, Stacey, Dan, and Tina. Years after the end of school, each of them has returned home for different reasons, but their stories are linked to a tragic event from the past that has marked their lives. The narrative, thus, is divided into four parts, each dedicated to one of the protagonists, developing through their memories, dreams, and interactions, as they reflect on how the past has shaped them and how the present has changed them.

In this novel, we read about the disillusionment of the modern generation, the great American social and political history post-9/11, loneliness, abuse, addiction, the sense of powerlessness, and the search for meaning in a life marked by trauma.

In the mood for… A film that makes you laugh but also makes you think

“A REAL PAIN” BY JESSE EISENBERG

The film tells the story of two cousins, David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin), who go to Poland to visit the childhood home of their recently deceased Jewish grandmother. The two cousins join an organized tour, touring Poland between historical places and family memories, experiencing the difficulties of living together, even if temporarily, and recognizing the essentiality of each other’s presence in their respective lives. A mix of comic moments and important reflections on Jewish heritage and the difficulties of facing the past, collective and personal. For his performance, Kieran Culkin won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor this year, an essential element of a story that manages to make us reflect without ever taking itself too seriously.

In the mood for… A surreal film with a cloned teenage crush

“MICKEY 17” BY BONG JOON HO

This science fiction film, based on the novel “Mickey7” by Edward Ashton, tells the story of Mickey Barnes (Robert Pattinson), a human being with a “doomed” existence on Earth who chooses to candidate himself as “expendable” to carry out lethal missions in a space colony on the planet Niflheim. Every time he dies, Mickey will be regenerated through advanced technology of body and memory reprinting. When he unexpectedly returns alive from a mission, Mickey 17 discovers that his clone, Mickey 18, has already been created, putting both in danger. A fun, brilliant film, with satirical allusions to American politics and, last but not least, 18 Robert Pattinsons.