Ages of Love
Roberto is a young, ambitious lawyer who is engaged to Sara. His whole life is perfectly planned out. During a expropriation he's in charge of, he meets Micol,a gorgeous, provocative young woman from a small Tuscan village. Famous anchorman Fabio has been the perfect husband for 25 years when at a party one night he meets femme fatale Eliana, who wants more than a one-night stand. Adrian is an American art-history professor who moved to Rome after his divorce and became friends with his building's concierge Augusto, whose ebullient daughter Viola is about to disrupt his peaceful existence and relight his dormant fire.
The film earned $12.5M at the global box office.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
Ages of Love (2011) exemplifies carefully calibrated narrative design, characteristic of Giovanni Veronesi's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 10-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 2 hours and 5 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 6.5, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 2 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Opening montage establishes multiple characters at different life stages, each isolated in their routines, suggesting emotional disconnection despite physical proximity in Bucharest.. Notably, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 16 minutes when Simultaneous disruptions across timelines: the young couple faces unexpected pregnancy, the middle-aged husband discovers his wife's infidelity, and the elderly man receives a terminal diagnosis, forcing each to confront their understanding of love.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The Collapse moment at 94 minutes (75% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Convergent collapse: the young wife suffers a miscarriage, the middle-aged husband moves out, and the elderly man is hospitalized in critical condition. Each storyline experiences its "whiff of death"—literal or metaphorical loss of what was hoped for., demonstrates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Synthesis at 100 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Final acts of love across generations. Young couple chooses each other despite loss, committing to try again. Middle-aged partners reunite with honest acceptance of imperfection. Elderly man shares final wisdom with his daughter and companion before passing peacefully., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
Ages of Love's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 10 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping Ages of Love against these established plot points, we can identify how Giovanni Veronesi utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish Ages of Love within the comedy genre.
Giovanni Veronesi's Structural Approach
Among the 3 Giovanni Veronesi films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.0, reflecting strong command of classical structure. Ages of Love takes a more unconventional approach compared to the director's typical style. For comparative analysis, explore the complete Giovanni Veronesi filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional comedy films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more Giovanni Veronesi analyses, see Manual of Love 2, Manual of Love.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Opening montage establishes multiple characters at different life stages, each isolated in their routines, suggesting emotional disconnection despite physical proximity in Bucharest.
Theme
An older character reflects that "love doesn't age, we do," introducing the central question of whether love's essence changes across life's stages or remains constant while we transform around it.
Worldbuilding
Introduction of the ensemble cast across three generational storylines: young lovers navigating first romance, middle-aged partners facing marital crisis, and elderly individuals confronting love and mortality. Each story establishes its own stakes and emotional terrain.
Disruption
Simultaneous disruptions across timelines: the young couple faces unexpected pregnancy, the middle-aged husband discovers his wife's infidelity, and the elderly man receives a terminal diagnosis, forcing each to confront their understanding of love.
Resistance
Each set of characters resists their new reality. Young lovers debate their future, the middle-aged couple avoids confrontation through silence, and the elderly man withdraws from his companion. Mentors and friends offer perspective but solutions remain unclear.
Act II
ConfrontationPremise
Exploration of love's promise at different ages. Young couple experiences wedding preparations and idealistic dreams, middle-aged partners attempt therapy and rediscovery, elderly man rebuilds family bonds and creates final memories. Each storyline delivers its "promise."
Opposition
Reality intrudes on each false victory. Young marriage faces financial strain and lost freedom, middle-aged reconciliation proves superficial as old patterns return, elderly man's health deteriorates rapidly. Each generation confronts love's limitations and their own flaws.
Collapse
Convergent collapse: the young wife suffers a miscarriage, the middle-aged husband moves out, and the elderly man is hospitalized in critical condition. Each storyline experiences its "whiff of death"—literal or metaphorical loss of what was hoped for.
Crisis
Dark night of reflection. Young couple grieves alone in separate rooms, middle-aged woman questions if love can survive betrayal and abandonment, elderly man drifts between consciousness contemplating a life of love and regret. Silence and isolation dominate.
Act III
ResolutionSynthesis
Final acts of love across generations. Young couple chooses each other despite loss, committing to try again. Middle-aged partners reunite with honest acceptance of imperfection. Elderly man shares final wisdom with his daughter and companion before passing peacefully.