I live in Naples, Italy, and when it comes to food, Japanese cuisine is very popular—so many people are obsessed with sushi. In sports, padel is really popular right now, which definitely isn’t something that originated here. And when it comes to dance classes, swing and tango are very popular too (and those also come from abroad). I know so many people who take swing and tango classes. What about where you live?

Hi everyone! I’m an Italian guy who’s really passionate about cinema, and I wanted to share my personal 25 favorite films from 1990 to the present day.

This isn't meant to be a list of the "25 greatest films" of the last 36 years, nor is it an attempt to establish an objective canon. These are simply 25 films that have affected me the most, stayed with me over time, or made me look at cinema — and sometimes life itself — in a different way.

Looking at the list as a whole, I realize that I tend to be drawn to films about loneliness, alienation, memory, human vulnerability and the absurdity of everyday life. I'm also particularly attracted to filmmakers who can say a great deal without explaining everything to the viewer. Kiarostami, Lynch, the Coens and Kaurismäki are probably the clearest examples of this, but you'll notice the same sensibility in some of the other films I've chosen.

I've deliberately included both widely celebrated films and some more controversial or underrated choices. For example, I consider Blue Jasmine one of Woody Allen's greatest films, The Straight Story one of Lynch's most emotionally powerful works, and Inside Llewyn Davis perhaps the most underrated Coen brothers film. I also have a soft spot for films that can be funny and deeply melancholic at the same time, which probably explains the presence of The Big Lebowski and Fallen Leaves.

The films are listed in no particular order. I'm not ranking them from #1 to #25 — they're simply 25 films that I love.

I'd be genuinely interested in hearing where you disagree with me. Rather than simply sharing your own favorite films, I'd especially like to know which of my choices you find most difficult to understand, which films you think I've overrated or underrated, and which omissions you think reveal something about my taste.

So, which film on this list would you defend the most strongly against my opinion, and why?

1. The Piano (1993) — Jane Campion — Australia / France

A well-deserved Oscar winner, this passionate drama with a Gothic atmosphere still feels astonishing today, especially for its mise-en-scène, cinematography and music.

2. Shoplifters (2018) — Hirokazu Kore-eda — Japan

Japanese cinema at its finest. Master Kore-eda explores social inequality and economic hardship with remarkable depth and humanity.

3. The Truman Show (1998) — Peter Weir — USA

Perhaps an underrated film. In reality, it is one of the cruelest portraits of our age: a dystopia ahead of its time, almost a proto-Black Mirror. Moving, prophetic and featuring a brilliant Jim Carrey.

4. Burning (2018) — Lee Chang-dong — South Korea

Love burns. If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend this absolute Korean masterpiece, which I personally find even more fascinating than Parasite. A thriller made of memories, absences, ambiguity and hidden meanings.

5. Match Point (2005) — Woody Allen — UK / USA / Luxembourg

The most accomplished film of Allen's later career. A tense meditation on chance and luck, with a glacial cynicism and a wonderful portrait of the upper classes.

6. Argo (2012) — Ben Affleck — USA

At first glance, Argo might seem like just another Hollywood production. But watch the airport sequence: the tension, the meticulous reconstruction of events, the pacing and the precision of the filmmaking make it clear that this is cinema of the highest level. A masterclass in Hollywood filmmaking — one that somehow feels like a film from the 1960s.

7. The Straight Story (1999) — David Lynch — USA / France / UK

Lynch directs a heartbreaking meditation on youth, lost time and life itself. It moves as slowly as the tractor driven by its protagonist, but it is never boring — quite the opposite. It is as luminous as its cinematography.

8. Blue Jasmine (2013) — Woody Allen — USA

Allen's most underrated film. In my opinion, it deserves to be considered a masterpiece. Few films have portrayed a female character with such depth, or dealt with financial collapse and depression with such effectiveness.

9. Taste of Cherry (1997) — Abbas Kiarostami — Iran / France

Perhaps one of the greatest films, if not the greatest film, of the last forty years. Its monotonous yet luminous landscape feels like life itself. I love the contrast between the deeply secular nature of its message and the religious context surrounding it, as well as the panoramic shots, the cinematography and, above all, the ending — which reveals that this is not really a film about suicide, but a meditation on life. Chilling.

10. Fallen Leaves (2023) — Aki Kaurismäki — Finland / Germany

Kaurismäki's cinema in its purest form: his eccentric characters, his strange and disenchanted world, and, underneath it all, his fundamental optimism and love for humanity. Watch it. It is one of the best films to have been released in cinemas in recent years.

11. Crash (1996) — David Cronenberg — Canada

Cold and controlled. You either love it or hate it. In reality, it is one of the most original films of its era: a disturbing erotic thriller that pretends to be a B-movie, but is actually a brilliant web of twisted metal, shattered glass and broken windshields — all serving as a metaphor for humanity's self-destructive nature.

12. Fargo (1996) — Joel Coen & Ethan Coen — USA / UK

I recently rewatched Fargo for the third time and was once again amazed by the stylistic perfection of this masterpiece. You can almost feel the freezing cold surrounding a hopeless humanity, inhabited by cynical and disenchanted characters. An immortal film.

13. Kikujiro (1999) — Takeshi Kitano — Japan

An emotional Japanese road movie that is also a beautiful story about childhood, invented games, imagination and regrets. Deeply touching, with one of the greatest film scores of all time.

14. In the Mood for Love (2000) — Wong Kar-wai — Hong Kong / France

The story itself is almost banal, but it is directed with such mastery that the characters' bodies seem to move like dancers in a ballet. Pure filmmaking — perhaps the finest display of direction of the century.

15. The Big Lebowski (1998) — Joel Coen & Ethan Coen — USA / UK

Another Coen masterpiece and a true cult film. My friends and I actually organize evenings just to watch it, recite the lines and lose ourselves in the absurd world of these brilliant characters, disillusioned children of the '68 generation. Cinema that makes you laugh and leaves you enchanted.

16. Pulp Fiction (1994) — Quentin Tarantino — USA

The ultimate cult film of the 1990s, and also Tarantino's best. The stupidity of the characters and their comic-book-like dialogue contrasts with a deranged world dominated by violence, where every single detail is carefully crafted. Pure cinema.

17. Dogman (2018) — Matteo Garrone — Italy / France

The only Italian film I am including on this list — and yes, no Sorrentino! Garrone tells a story that hits you like a punch in the stomach: raw and violent neorealism, told from the side of the marginalized and the forgotten. Watch it.

18. Funny Games (1997) — Michael Haneke — Austria

A film that made history in the thriller and home-invasion genres. Imitated and studied countless times, it still feels like the best of its kind: a merciless game in which the real culprit is the viewer, both victim and perpetrator at the same time. The remote-control scene remains a stroke of pure metacinematic genius.

19. Spirited Away (2001) — Hayao Miyazaki — Japan

Miyazaki's masterpiece is perhaps the greatest animated film ever made: an environmental fairy tale with no clear heroes or villains, deeply ambiguous and poetic, in the best tradition of Japanese anime.

20. Central Station (1998) — Walter Salles — Brazil / France

One of the most underrated and moving films of recent decades. At times it almost feels like a Hollywood production because of the way it is shot, but underneath that polished surface it is completely free of sentimentality: authentic, sincere and deeply moving.

21. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) — Michel Gondry — USA

A dazzling dystopian meditation on love, memory and loss. It is impossible to watch this film without ending up with a lump in your throat.

22. Mulholland Drive (2001) — David Lynch — USA / France

Lynch brilliantly blurs the boundaries between different layers of reality. Dreams, memories and regrets become intertwined with absolute mastery, creating one of the most hypnotic films of the century.

23. Inside Llewyn Davis (2013) — Joel Coen & Ethan Coen — USA / France

The Coens' most underrated film. Its protagonists feel almost like minor characters compared with those of their more famous masterpieces, and it doesn't have the formal perfection of Fargo. Yet the Coens force us to follow a brief winter chapter in the life of a loser, and they do it with such warmth, delicacy and depth that they manage to evoke incredibly powerful emotions.

24. Inside Out (2015) — Pete Docter & Ronnie del Carmen — USA

Heavily criticized by some, but for me it remains a little gem.

25. Big Fish (2003) — Tim Burton — USA

Life is hard. So hard that sometimes we need to tell ourselves fairy tales just to survive.

I know you've all been anxiously waiting for another one of my rankings after the Percentage of Time Spent Horny in Different Countries one.

I used to run B&Bs in Naples, so this ranking is based on years of field research. Obviously, we're generalizing, we'r on westerneurope.

🟢 HIGH RANKING

🇫🇷 French

This is where you'll be shocked. Pierre is the best tourist I've ever had**.** Almost always positive experiences with French guests. Whether they're alternative bohemians or posh types, it makes no difference.They're travelers, they're open-minded, they appreciate my city and my country, and they have a great ability to adapt. Approved.

🇯🇵 Japanese

Kind, polite, respectful. They smile at you, and if you talk to them, they laugh at pretty much anything you say. Make an actual joke and they'll make you feel like the greatest comedian in the world. Sweet and adorable.

🇵🇹 Portuguese

Reserved, polite, zero problems. Can't complain. Bravo, Joao.

🟡 MID RANKING

🇪🇸 Spanish

Pedro generally causes no problems, but he's very loud and chaotic, which, coming from a Luigi, is saying something.

🇩🇪 Germans

Generally polite, but they can drive you crazy because the window isn't exactly the way it was described on Booking, or because they can hear some noise.

Hans, relax. You're on holiday!

🇬🇧 Barry

Pretty good overall. But young Barry sometimes has Pedro's problem, while old Barry has Hans' problem.

🔴 LOW RANKING

🇺🇸 The Savages

Sometimes they manage to combine several of the problems mentioned above. An impressive achievement.

🇷🇺 Russians

Uhh... nothing to add. I just don't like the arrogant attitude.

🇧🇷 Brazilians

Surprise**.** And I'm sorry to say it, but these were the guests I had the worst experiences with, pretty much across the board.

quelli per i quali pane, pasta, grano, sono il male assoluto e ci propinano le loro diete del cazzo solo a base di carne rossa, petto di pollo e cose simili? premetto che non odio le proteine, mangio volentieri pesce, uova, pollo, anche carne, ma in modo equilibrato ed alternando con pasta, frutta ed altro. ed ho ed ho sempre avuto le analisi perfette. pur mangiando pasta tre volte a settimana. e non sono grasso. questi invece fanno i loro video di merda senza alcun fondamento scientifico per spiegarci che il problema del mondo sono i carboidrati quando tutto il mondo scientifico accreditato è concorde nel dire che le diete monoproteiche fanno male e le diete sane devono includere tutto. ed anzi, se ci sono studi che dimostrano che qualcosa fa male e determina rischio tumore intestino etc quella è la carne rossa. questi soggetti, in genere fanatici di un certo trend fitness, forse lo fanno per ritorsione ed una sorta di reazione perchè la nostra dieta italiana prevede molta pasta. però poi mi devono spiegare perchè l'italia ha uno dei più bassi tassi di cancro ad intestino, uno delle aspettative di vita più alte al mondo e uno dei tassi di obesità più bassi al mondo se la gran parte di italiani fanno ampio uso della pasta? avete rotto il cazzo, mangiate i vostri dieci petti di pollo accompagnati da 20 tuorli d'uovo e da breasola ma non ci ammorbate con teorie che non hanno nulla di scientifico. e' ovvio che se ti sfondi di 300 grammi di pasta al ragù al giorno fa male e ingrassi, ma tutto sta nella misura e le diete che bandiscono degli alimenti, soprattutto avendo bersaglio alimenti che non sono nemmeno tra i peggiori (perchè se la pasta fa male allora bibite gassate e dolci che cazzo fanno?) mi stanno profondamente sulle palle.

Ma che cazzo volete, non sono mica io lo chef, non ho cucinato io, io ho proposto un posto magari perchè le altre 10 volte si mangiava bene, se poi stavolta si è mangiato male o se non vi è piaciuto sarebbe colpa mia? Quanto odio i commentini del cazzo "la prossima volta non proponi tu" "complimenti per la scelta" "mi devi risarcire" e stronzate varie. Giuro che odio proporre solo per questo motivo. Poi esistono quelle persone che non propongono mai un cacchio ma sono sempre pronti a criticare. E lo stesso discorso vale se vai al cinema e non gli piace il film e via dicendo. Sta cosa mi ha sempre fatto salire il sangue agli occhi e mi fa stare in ansia ogni volta che propongo qualcosa. Ma che due coglioni!

She made me argue with Pedro, and I never want to argue with Pedro. Pedro has always been my best friend. My partner in fun, culture, love, Erasmus, bottellones, wild nights. And over probably the stupidest reason imaginable, because I could give you ten reasons why what she said about the Schengen Area makes no sense.
But that’s the story of nationalism. Don’t think it’s only because Spain has a socialist government. Nationalists end up arguing even among themselves, because they always manage to find someone who’s even more nationalist than they are.

Sorry, this might sound like a stupid question, but as an Italian I constantly read about shark attacks in Australia. Aren't you afraid of swimming offshore or surfing in waters that are so full of sharks?

The newspapers keep saying that Pirlo is part of Maldini and Leonardo's project and that we just need to trust them. But allow us to be skeptical. Right up until the last moment, the two of them were practically begging Guardiola to come. In the end, they settled for Pirlo, who is also a much cheaper option. Are we really supposed to believe that this was the plan all along?

I genuinely hope Maldini has a clear vision, because from where I'm standing, the whole situation is very confusing. Meanwhile, Germany and France have appointed Klopp and Zidane, while we, a team desperately in need of an immediate boost in confidence, are putting our faith in a coach with virtually no managerial résumé.

So Italians are simply expected to trust Maldini without question. But based on what? The "2030 project"? First, let's think about beating Belgium and Turkey in September, because if we lose those matches we'll drop into Pot B, and our World Cup qualification path immediately becomes much more difficult.

I have a lot of doubts.

A totally scientific ranking by a bisexual with broad tastes.

Based mainly on places where "young" (20-45) people tend to gather, not random streets.

Country	Time Spent Horny	Scientific Explanation™
🇮🇹 Italy	100%	Zero downtime. Everywhere you look, there are gorgeous men and women. Handsome masculine guys, curvy mediterranean women.
🇪🇸 Spain	100%	Almost as bad as Italy. Zero downtime.
🇬🇷 Greece	95%	Almost every guy is Luigi or Pedro material.
🇷🇸 Serbia	94%	Outstanding. Seriously impressive.
🇵🇹 Portugal	92%	João definitely carries the national average.
🇸🇪 Sweden	88%	Great for anyone who appreciates Nordic features, but the effect isn't constant.
🇳🇴 Norway	88%	Same as Sweden. Excellent genetics, with enough breathing room to recover.
🇫🇷 France	74%	You're half PIGS. Expectations were higher.
🇳🇱 Netherlands	69%	Attractive people, but occasional moments of peace.
🇦🇹 Austria	69%	Respectable performance.
🇩🇪 Germany	64%	Solid. There are actually stretches of time when nothing happens.
🇧🇪 Belgium	64%	Similar to Germany. Relaxation is possible.
🇫🇮 Finland	52%	Mmm.
🇮🇪 Ireland	40%	You can enjoy a pint without being constantly distracted.
🇬🇧 England (Barryland)	35%	...Well. It's certainly one of the countries in Europe.

Now they're talking about Pirlo as the coach? Are we f.....ing kidding??? One of the greatest Italian players of all time, but a terrible coach. He's failed everywhere: at Juventus, at Sampdoria, and this is supposed to be the revolution Malagò has in mind? We go from talking about Conte or Guardiola to Pirlo? I'm absolutely furious. I don't understand why Italy shouldn't have a top-class coach. I really hope this is a joke.

This is an article by Filippo Facci, a journalist I'm not particularly fond of. But maybe this time he's right?

OUR NATIONAL TEAM IS TERRIBLE (ALSO) BECAUSE IT'S STILL A NATIONAL TEAM.

But things will change here too. Just look at Cape Verde, who went toe to toe with Argentina, and ask yourself why. Here are the answers.

International football no longer aligns neatly with national borders. Many national teams are becoming stronger thanks to diasporas and dual citizenship, while Italy remains attached to a much more traditional model.

A natural question arises: how can a country like Cape Verde have such a strong national team? It's a small archipelago with a tiny population and very limited football infrastructure, yet it can compete with countries that are infinitely richer, larger, and better equipped.

The answer is simple: in footballing terms, Cape Verde is not just Cape Verde. It is Cape Verde plus its diaspora. And sooner or later, this will be the story of every national team.

Many Cape Verdean players did not grow up on the islands. They came through European academies in the suburbs of Rotterdam, Lisbon, Paris, Brussels, and London. They are Dutch, Portuguese, French, or British citizens. Many hold dual nationality. Some were born and developed entirely abroad. Yet they are still eligible to represent Cape Verde.

FIFA's eligibility rules are the same for everyone: a player needs citizenship and a recognized connection to the country, whether through birth, parents, grandparents, or residency. The real difference, however, lies in national citizenship laws and in how aggressively football federations identify and recruit eligible players.

Cape Verde is only one example. Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Congo, Jamaica, Curaçao, Suriname, Albania, and Kosovo have all built, strengthened, or in some cases practically created their national teams through emigration. For some countries, the diaspora adds extra quality. For others, it is the backbone of the entire squad. Without the children of emigrants, some of these teams would be little more than modest local selections. With them, they become genuinely competitive professional sides, filled with players trained in the world's strongest football systems.

This changes the very meaning of a national team.

For more than a century, we imagined a national team as the football representation of a territory: the best players born, raised, and developed within its borders. Today, it is increasingly becoming the representation of a genealogy, a family history, an inherited sense of belonging. What matters is no longer only where you were born, but where your family comes from. Not only where you play, but which story you can legitimately claim as your own.

National teams have already ceased, or soon will cease, to be "national" in the twentieth-century sense. They are no longer simply teams made up of citizens produced by a single country. They are becoming global pools of eligible players: children and grandchildren of emigrants, naturalized citizens, second- and third-generation communities, identities scattered across the world and then brought back together. The shirt, the anthem, family heritage, and fan loyalty remain incredibly powerful, but the idea of a national team as a straightforward snapshot of a resident population is fading.

Football often gets there before politics. It shows us that nations are no longer merely places. They are networks, lineages, passports, memories, and increasingly, emigrants returning to the pitch wearing a different shirt.

And what about Italy?

Curiously enough, Italy could theoretically become one of the most diasporic national teams in the world, yet it still thinks of itself in traditional terms. The pool of people of Italian descent is enormous, stretching across Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, the United States, Canada, Australia, Switzerland, and Germany. A century of emigration scattered Italian surnames across the globe. Thanks to jus sanguinis, many descendants can obtain, or already possess, Italian citizenship and, provided they are not tied to another national team, they can become eligible for Italy. It is hardly science fiction to imagine an Italian squad with a significant number of foreign-born players.

To some extent, this has already happened. From the oriundi of the 1930s to Sívori, Altafini, Camoranesi, Thiago Motta, Jorginho, Éder, Emerson Palmieri, and Retegui. Yet Italy has always treated them as exceptions, temporary fixes, or even slight embarrassments. It has never developed a systematic strategy built around its football diaspora. Perhaps out of pride, perhaps inertia, perhaps because Italian football lived off its past successes for too long, it has never seriously explored its global community the way Morocco, Cape Verde, or Algeria have.

The paradox is twofold. On one hand, Italy could draw from millions of descendants of emigrants around the world. On the other, it still struggles to integrate many young people who were born or raised in Italy by immigrant families, who speak Italian, came through Italian academies, yet often receive citizenship only late.

The future of the Azzurri seems to point in one of two directions. Either Italy clings to the twentieth-century ideal of the homegrown national team, hoping the domestic talent pipeline once again produces enough elite players, or it accepts that its football identity, like the country itself, has become broader, more complex, and less tied to geography.

It would not be a mercenary team, nor eleven hastily assembled passports, but rather a global Italian network: the children of emigrants, youngsters raised in Italy, dual nationals, people with layered family histories.

Perhaps it would be less romantic for those who still pretend Italy is the country it was a century ago.

As for me, I must admit that I'm no longer entirely sure what, or whom, I'm actually cheering for.

See? Just as I said, there is a segment of Germans who genuinely hate and look down on us. It's deep resentment, and they're enjoying this moment. According to him, Italy shouldn't even be mentioned

Tre sconfitte su tre. 2 gol fatti e 11 subìti. Se guardiamo la carriera di Cannavaro come allenatore è stata un disastro. Esonerato in Arabia, esonerato in Cina, esonerato alla guida della nazionale cinese, esonerato al Benevento dopo risultati disastrosi, esonerato alla Dinamo Zagabria, esonerato all'Udinese, ed ora ultimo con l'uzbekistan, probabilmente degli ex Mondiale 2006 è quello che sta facendo peggio come allenatore (confrontate ad esempio con Grosso o De Rossi), e che ha avuto i risultati più sfortunati, che ne pensate?