User Reviews

Reminiscent of Zorba The Greek and La Strada, this is a documentary of self discovery and exploration in a land of beauty, the city of Naples and its surrounding countryside. The message presented subtly, is that living a life of pure trust, faith in life itself, as the great sages put it, is not only possible but is being carried out by the courageous with zest and celebration. The metaphor might be: if you can arrange a pizza in the place where the world's best pizza is made, then with a little help, both human and divine, you can arrange your life just as sweetly. Some of the images are so vivid in their photographic rendering — a couple dancing perhaps the tango; an accordion player walking away over cobblestones — they repeat in the mind long afterward. Full of life, candor and beauty.

I found this movie incredibly inspiring. As a fellow Italian-American and someone with great passion for Italy. Matteo's story combines 8 years of his life into a 90 minute roller coaster of, laughter, tears, history and contemporary Italy. He does a masterful job of highlighting the Italian people and the Italian culture all through the lens of a man on a artistic (possibly hedonistic) voyage through his family's roots.

Bravo! Very well done!

I met this guy who was said he was making a movie about pizza, but he ended up with something much more than that. We all have our hard-knocks in life. Arrangiarsi presents the uniquely Neapolitan way of coping. Through Matteo's struggles, I was able to calibrate my own. Pizza as life, life as a sequence of arrangements, love and devotion as the carrying force.

Just got home from seeing this wonderful little gem, which was followed by Q&A with Matteo himself.

There were many different aspects to this film: Laughter, sadness, kindness of strangers, crazy strangers, food, animals, culture, architecture, history, educational tidbits, personal growth... it had it all, and of course the charismatic and likeable Matteo.

If you don't feel inspired by life after seeing this film, then go eat a pizza 😉

This is a beautiful, sensitive, and meaningful film that will stick with you. The photography is amazing. It is pure joy just to watch it for the beauty of the people, streets, and food of Naples. But it goes so much deeper than that and not in a heavy handed way. The films pulls you in with its sheer beauty but all the while is extending a gentle invitation to create beauty and a life worth living even if you have, apparently, nothing to start with and shows you how people can create something from nothing which is also, not coincidentally, what the film maker has done in the making of this film.

This film, like its subject, is multifaceted. We begin with heartbreak and the way life can fall apart, and find ourselves on an odyssey to discover the mysteries of Naples pizza.

The pizza is sublime. But why?

What begins as simple becomes complex, layered and poignant. Is it the water? (Yes.) Is it the soil? (Yes.) Is it the heart and soul of the people? (Yes.) And what about the filmmaker? Will he be redeemed by this journey? (Maybe.) What does this all mean, anyway?

The story of Naples pizza is, of course, also the story of the place, the people, the history - oppression, mythology, resilience. It is also the story of the narrator, Matteo, who lets us into his life with brave intimacy and humility. This kind of storytelling and filmmaking is the best of both worlds - educational (some history lessons here), engaging and sweet. The film avoids tidy platitudes about life, and lets the viewer come to her own experience of how complicated, messy and challenging life can be.

This film is ultimately a love letter to Italy, to Naples, to family and heart and friends and history and ancestors. Strongly recommended for anyone who can relate to being on a journey, learning how to trust where it all may lead, trials and all.

Be prepared to want to board a plane immediately for the best pizza in the world, a vital and vibrant city, and the potential for being reminded of the human spirit.

Brava!

As a Neapolitan and as a Neapolitan restaurateur who moved to US 33 years ago', I particularly loved it. I found myself in it, I was one of those character. Incredible how real and how easy he captured the Neapolitan spirit. His journey has been the journey of many young people; some leaving the US and some coming to Us. and all looking to understand what, how and why. Bravo

For someone who loves Italy and pizza as much as I do, the slightly cryptic title of this film was intriguing. While I wasn't familiar with the term 'arrangiarsi', I somehow expected the usual well-worn combination of travel and food documentary: the familiar shots of glorious rolling Tuscan hills, mouthwatering pasta, and endearing gesticulating local characters. What I wasn't expecting was not only all of that, but also a cultural and gastronomic history lesson, personal roots exploration, and spiritual odyssey.

Troncone, a San Francisco native, is of Neapolitan extraction, and after an epiphany into his deep emotional connection with the land of his forebears, he embarks on a personal and at times quixotic pilgrimage to explore what it means to live life like a true Neapolitan, embracing the Naples spirit of making the most of the situations life hands you (the arrangiarsi of the title), documenting his sometimes arduous personal journey along the way.

The result is a fascinating blend of three constantly intertwining themes: an alternative and partisan history of southern Italy, which served as a welcome counterpoint to the conventional narrative; an unabashed celebration of the divine creation that is true pizza Napolitano and the labor involved in its deceptively simple ingredients (if you've never seen a self-massaging buffalo, well you're in luck); and above all Troncone's own pilgrim's progress in his quest for spiritual balance through acceptance of his ancestral and internal north-south divide. The conclusion is deeply satisfying and packs a surprising emotional wallop.

One lesson that emerges from his travels, is that true acceptance doesn't mean blandly looking on the bright side, or enduring a mindless fatalism. He reminds us that it while it is easy to feel joy when fortune smiles on you, we only fully experience life when we embrace all situations, positive and negative, head-on. As if to emphasize this lesson, Troncone bravely lets all his angels and demons have their moment on screen, both in his moments of pizza-devouring bliss, and the times where he, as he puts it, is "about to go full Italian", equanimity be damned.

True to the spirit of arrangiarsi, Troncone literally and radically rearranged his life to realize this film, and the result is a one-man tour-de-force. Practically every aspect was crafted single-handedly with the passion of a real aficionado and that love shines through. And damn, that pizza looks good.

This is a film that the world needs right now. It's also the closest I've come to experiencing taste-o-vision. It is delicious, fun, real, and ultimately poignant. How do we fit in? How do we create from nothing? Where do we belong? A great pizza pie fortifies and gives us the energy to continue this quest.

This is a personal film in which Matteo Toncone follows his well honed gut to Naples, soothed by one of western civilization's finest inventions - the Neopolitan pizza. He shows us what is involved in creating something real, nourishing, and enduring, while navigating his place and reason in the world. There are those brave souls who are coloring outside of the lines and finding their way in a world out of balance. Matteo is one of these brave souls with the courage of his convictions. This is a film that flies in the face of what Hollywood seems to be so addicted to, this is a story told without cynicism - it is an authentic dive into a world where the currency is in pride of work and joy in nourishing both the pallet and soul. Following your heart, the complex simplicity of pizza and living, the art of kind connection, these are the challenges that we ponder days and weeks later. Arrangiarsi - the art arranging yourself to make something from nothing is an idiom to embrace and carry as a talisman in your pocket. Find this film, watch, enjoy!, Repeat!

An unforgettable dream. Takes all your senses and heart on a journey! Beautiful in so many ways.

Matteo shares his experience in learning the art and beauty and liberation of "Arrangiarsi". While it has a central focus on creating a tasty pizza, the true focus is on creating a meaningful, creative, fulfilling LIFE. By embracing the art of Arrangiarsi he finds out who he truly is and where he needs to go to be the person he wants to be. This is a new version of a classic tale - through the journey, a man learns he can make his own fate. Enjoy every pie, live life as a feast.

Arrangiarsi is an all round pleasure, a feast for the senses, a film with an indelible spirit of wonder and curiosity. I've never been to Italy or eaten the pizza of Naples, but having seen this film, I feel like I have. Arrangiarsi as I understand it means arranging ourselves to meet the challenges of life & what unexpected magic is often born of that arrangement. What a beautiful idea to live by!

What a well crafted film, stamped with originality, appreciation and a zest for life. I'm thinking of moving to Naples...The editing is quite good, keeping the viewer immersed in the compelling feel and drama of the story. Everything about the film is rich, the photography and the many many encounters with locals to whom Matteo gives the gift of making them at ease, they seam to open up as the filming progresses, all the while hearing Matteo's genuine laughter from behind the camera. This film is a unique expression from the heart of the film maker. It is a very personal film with emotion, passion and drama, but never at the expense of a simple shrug of the shoulders and the word "arrangiarsi."

This film is not only a feast for the eyes, but also for the heart! My husband and I moved to Italy about two years ago, and "arrangiarsi" is no lie! When the delights and challenges of being residents are occasionally overwhelming, we find this film encouraging! Very inspirational! A+++

In a sea of movies loaded with darkness, heavy drama, and violence, this movie manages to reveal a deeply personal journey while still celebrating the joys of living in a world full of challenges both big and small. The director weaves what is essentially four story lines in a way that somehow manages to keep you completely on track with what is happening as well as wholly engaged.

I have never been to Italy, though I have certainly heard the many stereotypes of a city such as Naples. This film makes me want to go explore what appears to be a very vibrant and "alive" culture, with warm and welcoming people and what promises to be some of the most incredible pizza (and coffee!) on the planet.

In addition, it is to me a profoundly spiritual film. "Arrangiarsi" really reflects living "in a good way", using the interdependence of humanity to give and receive reciprocally so that everyone benefits...a sort of a manual for creating a unique and "magical" life experience.

And even if you disagree with all of this after watching it, you cannot deny that it is educational in a fun and entertaining way.

I love everything about this film and have seen it three times. It is poignant, funny, a great vehicle for learning about Italy and the Italian language, and it revolves around delicious food. Mi piace molto!

A delicious film for the mind and eye that makes me seriously crave returning to Italy for more Napolitano pizza . Matteo Troccone has created through both subtle and vibrant images a vivid picture of the philosophy of the people of Naples and their absolute joy in creating and eating pizza. Since to the people of Naples it is not merely food, but food for the soul. He portrays this beautifully through a look inside the individuals who help him" arrange" his story throughout the film and through his keen eye for capturing the beauty of southern Italy. Go see this film!

Finally, I was able to watch the full Arrangiarsi - and am deeply impressed. Gain and loss, ups and downs, hot and cold, all parts of the spectrum in every respect. Learning about the ingredients and the making of pizza reveals the ingredients and the making of filmmaker Matteo Troncone.

Long awaited, the film has presented as a jewel worth waiting for. I hope to show it to my grandchildren. They will truly appreciate it, as they are still in an age not spoiled, yet like sponges taking everything in. And wanting to learn - this is such a teaching film for facts, for relationships, and for connection. They will love it.

Matteo has done it, an excellent job, arrangiarsi even with the worst situations, and making the sacrifices vital ingredients of the film.

When the buffalo mozzarella was on, that is a section the children will really love, I could not resist to get the organic mozzarella out of my fridge, and eat it with tomatoes and special olive oil and great satisfaction, even though no basil in the house, and perhaps not quite as good as in the movie, yet good enough to give some sensory pleasure - rather than just watching all the tempting produce.

The previous reviews have said it all, and I can hardly add. So smart to interweave all the characters - and giving Seymour Carter a role in it - what a foresight for a great documentary.

Each scene, I could have watched over and over again, to take it all in. Overall, the speed was just right.

I wish Matteo many prizes and compensations for all the hardships endured on his journey. Seven years sound right in the anthroposophic counting of life spans,and Mrs. Troncone saw that - so beautiful.

For watching "Arrangiarsi", I suggest the best Pizza available, preferably, of course, Napoli pizza, a drink of whatever you feel should go with it, and a good friend to later share what you have seen.

I hope, that one day, there will be another Vespa for Matteo Troncone!

My heart longed for Italy watching Arrangiarsi. This film reminded me of how I can connect with life and people through just being, loving, appreciating beauty, tasting, smell, language. I loved hearing the language rolling off their tongue straight from their hearts, the singing with a voice from their very soul. I loved the juxtaposition in the images of nature - the earth, the sky, the sea,the mountains of Tuscany, and the man-made - structures, art, and even demolition.

I have seen this movie twice. Matteo Troncone shows exquisite sensibility in capturing the "arrangiarsi" way of life (that means making do with few resources). I also appreciated the historical data about southern Italy.

Visually captivating, a fresh look at an old culture from a root- searching descendant. Engrossing and fun viewing. Well done Matteo Troncone.

A beautiful and engaging film that's part intimate personal journey, a love affair with Italy ( including the messy bits), and pizza pizza pizza! Tied together with the uniquely Italian concept of arrangiarsi. You'll meet our filmmaker Matteo, many amazing Italian people, and contented water buffalo. Allow your life to "arrange itself" around an experience of this amazing film. Then go eat pizza! You'll have to, trust me.

Arrangiarsi is the story of its director Matteo Trocone, whose life has seemingly crumbled around him, prompting him to move to Italy and explore his Southern Italian roots in the colorful city of Naples. We are introduced to many of the incredible Neopalitanos Trocone meets, who seem to have mastered the art of arrangiarsi, making something from nothing. Trocone shares with us his intimate struggles surviving in the city, but these obstacles lead him to grand discoveries about life itself. After watching this film, its beautiful images of the city will remain in your mind; it is truly a masterpiece and an honorable representation of Naples and its people. The film was full of messages that I needed to hear about humanity's kindness, the importance of love and passion into one's craft, beauty in uncertainty, and, most importantly, arrangiarsi: there is always a way.

What a fantastic escape into the simple joys of local living. Enjoying everyday moments with pizza. Coffee. Olive oil. And did I say pizza? Great perspective and adventure. Thank you,Matteo, for sharing a slice of your life with me!

Saw this movie at The Sebastiani Theatre in Sonoma, CA. Matteo was there in person along with Peter Coyote. Crazy, wonderful good. One of the best movies I've seen. Gave me such a new and renewed interest in Italy. Matteo is so compelling with his efforts to make this movie. I was reminded of The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill as I watched Arrangiarsi. Excellent post movie interview with Peter Coyote and Matteo. The event even pulled off everyone in the theatre receiving a piping hot fresh piece of pizza. Had I known that was going to happen I would have smuggled in anchovies and fresh grated cheese.