Ah, that's Dogma amore

"Italian for Beginners" is a sweet, unpretentious love story about a group of lonely thirtysomethings in a Danish suburb, all of whom take Italian lessons to put a little spark in their lives. This, however, is a deceptively innocent description, since "Italian For Beginners" bears the heavy stamp of the scowling Dogma brand -- the genre spearheaded by Lars Von Trier ("Dancing in the Dark"). Dogma is a set of commandments that now practically dominate the entire Scandinavian filmmaking scene: Thou shalt use hand-held digital cameras, and mix amateurs with professional actors; thou shalt not use special effects, artificial lighting, etc. Self-imposed technical restrictions aside, what really distinguishes Dogma films is the relentless emotional turmoil inflicted on the characters (by implication, it must be pure torture on the actors) and the eerie, near-masochism with which they respond to their trials.

"Italian for Beginners" is textbook Dogma in terms of technique, but the contents are fully liberated from the constraints of its film school. There are no life-shattering accidents, scathing infidelities, unbelievable betrayals or other situations of extreme anguish. It just traces (and then coaxes) the shy blossoms of love to open against the dismal gray of a Danish winter. This is Lone Scherfig's debut feature and because she is Dogma's first female director, it is tempting to point out how women are more likely to appreciate humor, are adept at picking up life's lovelier details, and are less prone to adhere religiously to the Dogma doctrine. (Take that, Lars Von Trier!) In any case, "Italian for Beginners" loosens those tense winter muscles and prepares the senses for the warmth of spring. Believe it or not, this is a genuine, feel-good Dogma movie.

The first moment of well-being (for both viewer and the cast) comes when the characters are attending the Wednesday-night Italian-language class that they look forward to so much. It's easy to see how the sensuous rhythm of Italian sentences (in marked contrast to the clipped, hard intonations of Danish) enthrall everyone, and they all delight in repeating them with much emphasis on the rolling "r" sounds, that is, until their Italian teacher has a heart attack and is carted off in an ambulance. Desperate to keep the class going, they enlist Hal-Finn (Lars Kaalund) as the new instructor. Hal-Finn is the best speaker in the class and sexy in a way that's mindful of a hulking Great Dane, but he's deplorably lacking in people skills. Irritable, ill-mannered and friendless except for his devoted best friend Jorgen Mortensen (Peter Gantzler), Hal-Finn is far from a dreamboat date but still he manages to catch the attention of hairdresser Karen (Anna Eleonora Jorgensen), who hasn't dated in a long time as she's tied to a bed-ridden alcoholic mother.