Coffee

Coffee, released in 2016, is a riveting blend of drama, humanity, socio-politics, and cross-cultural confusion from throughout the globalized world, all meticulously brewed together under the adept direction of Cristiano Bortone. The film features an ensemble cast led by Dario Aita, Hichem Yacoubi, and Miriam Dalmazio, who join forces to narrate interconnected stories spanning three continents and featuring coffee as the main thread that weaves the narrative together.

The narrative structure of the film works in an engaging manner, akin to slipping from one dream into another wherein each storyline is subtly linked with the others through the running theme of coffee. As we traverse between the three separate but interconnected tales, what unfolds is a riveting anthology of hopes and heartbreaks, ambitions and fears, love and betrayal, all seamlessly linked by the ubiquitous drink.

The first of the triptych of tales is set in Italy and revolves around Renzo,an eccentric young barista, played by the charismatic Dario Aita. Renzo's life is imbued with a love for coffee, but he finds himself facing overwhelming obstacles when a major coffee corporation threatens his local business in the quaint town of Turin. As he strives to maintain his inherited legacy of a small coffee-shop amidst the encroachment of corporate giants, the story captures a robust critique of capitalism's inexorable march and the jeopardy of small-scale industries facing extinction.

The second story, spun against the arid landscapes of Belgium and Libya, brings forth the tumultuous reality of Hichem Yacoubi's character, Hamed. Hamed is a Libyan medical doctor paradoxically trying to illegally smuggle raw coffee beans into Europe to secure the money for his wife's life-saving surgery. It's a heart-wrenching portrayal that pushes the boundaries of what conventional perceptions might consider right or wrong when a life is at stake. Hamed's harrowing journey and desperate attempts at survival throw into sharp relief the biting reality of immigration and the human cost of global economic disparity.

The final narrative jostles us into the pulsating heart of China, where feisty businesswoman Fei Fei, enacted with fierce conviction by Tao Zhao, finds herself lost in translation when dealing with a potential Italian coffee provider. While she's stuck in the quagmire of language barriers and cultural confusion, her personal life also teeters on the edge of havoc. This narrative intriguingly explores the cultural clash and the difficulties faced by a woman trying to traverse the complexities of the global economy.

Miriam Dalmazio acts as a glue that binds all the stories together with her captivating portrayal of a sophisticated businesswoman working for the very corporation threatening Renzo's quaint coffee house in the first narrative strand. Without giving too much away, she plays a pivotal role in mirroring the upsides and downsides of profiteering global businesses.

The film masterfully delves into the themes of globalization, cultural authenticity, and the increasingly vanishing gaps between the first world and the third. While coffee, beautifully captured in all its forms - raw beans, enticing espresso shots, or the rustic hand-ground - is the central element, the real strength of the narrative lies in the stories of these ordinary people caught in extraordinary circumstances.

Cristiano Bortone has inky-colored each frame with the essence of the places they embody – the rustic old-world charm of Turin, the dusty desperation of Libya, the urban bustle of Beijing – thus transporting us, the audience, from one world to the next with ease. One can't help but be captivated by the lush cinematography and fluid transitions between the tales, adding to the film’s compelling storytelling. The commendable performances from the lead actors infuse further authenticity into the narrative, making the film an engaging watch.

In summary, Coffee is more than just a narrative about the eponymous beverage. It's a skillfully brewed tale of human connection, struggle, desperation, and hope, spread across three different cultures that are unified by the humble coffee bean. As much as it pulls at your heartstrings, it equally compels you to ponder the broader implications of a globalized world. Integral to the film's charm is the way it marks out the cultural differences while also adding a universal appeal - something that every arthouse film lover would appreciate.