Italian Director Pupi Avati works again with Diego Abatuono. The funny comedian has been saved by Avati in 1986, when he starred in Regalo di Natale, in a low career moment. Sandro Lanza is a failed actor and has a role in a televised soap-opera. He never had the great chance of an important movie character, though he was an actor in the most important period of Italian cinema. Three daughters, from different women, take care of him in a sad period of his life. Good performances of the actors, mostly of Abatantuono, who maybe feels this character very personally, because his own career could have been very alike in its failure. Avati talks about Italian cinema's decadence or, maybe, about Italian decadence at all. Unfortunately the movie seems not complete or maybe it doesn't succeed in saying everything the director meant.
2 Reviews
A sentimental comedy with a great soundtrack
john-57523 September 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Had the pleasure of seeing this yesterday in Melbourne, Australia where it is screening as part of the 2007 Italian Film Festival. Each year we have one of these around Sep for about 2 weeks with a selection of the latest Italian movies with each movie subtitled in English for those of us who don't understand Italian.
If any of you have enjoyed Italian TV series like Shopgirls you should enjoy this movie. It's very sumptuous to look at, Rome in winter of course looks romantic. In some regards with winter in Europe this reminds me of a French film shown here as PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES (French title Couers) but the characters in this Italian film are much warmer than it's French relative. A run down on the French movie can be found at http://2007.frenchfilmfestival.org. Sorry I cannot put the full link in as IMDb does not allow "long words" which excludes long links.
An additional link for the Italian trailer http://www.mymovies.it/trailer/?id=43634
Being a sentimental comedy it does tug at the heart strings every so slightly and the 3 daughters are all quite beautiful and overall it's a very strong cast. One of the daughters is played by Vanessa Incontrada who looks a lot like a young Lana Wood. Perhaps it's the shape of her jaw. She's the one with freckles. Looking back on some of the old festival websites I can see she played the showgirl opposite Neri Marcore in the "Heart Elsewhere" She was very alluring in this except with dark hair. This year she is also in "What is Love" which has had very middling reviews. But if you are following someone what's another movie ticket and few hours :-). Another Italian actress to follow and add to the watch out for list.
Throughout the movie is the most delightful background music. It's an old Frank Sinatra song done very slowly and very sentimentally with just a piano played "lento" very slowly. I think it might be "All the Way"
"When somebody loves you Its no good unless he loves you - all the way
Happy to be near you When you need someone to cheer you - all the way
Taller than the tallest tree is Thats how its got to feel Deeper than
the deep blue see is Thats how deep it goes - if its real
When somebody needs you Its no good unless he needs you - all the way
through the good or lean years And for all the in between years - come
what may
Who know where the road will lead us Only a fool would say But if
you'll let me love you Its for sure Im gonna love you - all the way,
all the way"
Sumptous music, semi sumptuous movie!
I really enjoyed this directors previous work "The Second Wedding Night" which was my highlight in our 2006 Italian Film Festival and set in Calabria just after WW11. It's definitely7 wet my appetite to get down to this part on Italy "the boot" http://2006.italianfilmfestival.com.au
Neri Marcorè, one of the actors in "The Second Wedding" is another period piece this year called "Kiss Me Baby" taking a road trip from Venice to Rome in Sep 1943.. a definite must to see.
One of the pleasures of these festivals is finding actors you like and following them from one year to the next! My Italian favorite Monica Belluci, Laura Morante, Meri Marcore, Paz Vega who surely must be Spanish is here in one film this year. No it's not as good as living in Italy but for a good taste of Italy without the travel... hard to beat!
SPOILERS (SYNOPSIS) AHEAD
Prolific director and President of Cinecitta' Studios, Pupi Avati (A HEART ELSEWHERE, THE SECOND WEDDING NIGHT) delivers a touching comedy about three stepsisters playing cupid for their father, a jaded TV star whose career has seen better days. As lacerating as it is comical, Avati's first film set in Rome shines against the sparkling backdrop of Christmas in Italy (and snow failing outside)
Actor Sandro Lanza (the legendary Diego Abatantuono) is having a hard time. Over the past few years he has lost his hair, his friends and also his whip-smart tongue with which he used to be able to turn any situation to his own advantage. Once the star of his own TV series, his role has now dwindled down to a bit part. After a disastrous plastic surgery operation he decides to fake a suicide attempt to garner publicity and get his name back into the celebrity rags.
His three estranged daughters, all by different mothers, rush to his bedside. Reunited after many years, they decide that their father needs to meet a different kind of woman to get him back on track and they have just the woman in mind! Alma Kero (Francesca Neri), a cultured, intelligent and independent woman is the type whom Sandro has always avoided but little does he know, his daughters are already organizing a dinner for them to meet...
If any of you have enjoyed Italian TV series like Shopgirls you should enjoy this movie. It's very sumptuous to look at, Rome in winter of course looks romantic. In some regards with winter in Europe this reminds me of a French film shown here as PRIVATE FEARS IN PUBLIC PLACES (French title Couers) but the characters in this Italian film are much warmer than it's French relative. A run down on the French movie can be found at http://2007.frenchfilmfestival.org. Sorry I cannot put the full link in as IMDb does not allow "long words" which excludes long links.
An additional link for the Italian trailer http://www.mymovies.it/trailer/?id=43634
Being a sentimental comedy it does tug at the heart strings every so slightly and the 3 daughters are all quite beautiful and overall it's a very strong cast. One of the daughters is played by Vanessa Incontrada who looks a lot like a young Lana Wood. Perhaps it's the shape of her jaw. She's the one with freckles. Looking back on some of the old festival websites I can see she played the showgirl opposite Neri Marcore in the "Heart Elsewhere" She was very alluring in this except with dark hair. This year she is also in "What is Love" which has had very middling reviews. But if you are following someone what's another movie ticket and few hours :-). Another Italian actress to follow and add to the watch out for list.
Throughout the movie is the most delightful background music. It's an old Frank Sinatra song done very slowly and very sentimentally with just a piano played "lento" very slowly. I think it might be "All the Way"
"When somebody loves you Its no good unless he loves you - all the way
Happy to be near you When you need someone to cheer you - all the way
Taller than the tallest tree is Thats how its got to feel Deeper than
the deep blue see is Thats how deep it goes - if its real
When somebody needs you Its no good unless he needs you - all the way
through the good or lean years And for all the in between years - come
what may
Who know where the road will lead us Only a fool would say But if
you'll let me love you Its for sure Im gonna love you - all the way,
all the way"
Sumptous music, semi sumptuous movie!
I really enjoyed this directors previous work "The Second Wedding Night" which was my highlight in our 2006 Italian Film Festival and set in Calabria just after WW11. It's definitely7 wet my appetite to get down to this part on Italy "the boot" http://2006.italianfilmfestival.com.au
Neri Marcorè, one of the actors in "The Second Wedding" is another period piece this year called "Kiss Me Baby" taking a road trip from Venice to Rome in Sep 1943.. a definite must to see.
One of the pleasures of these festivals is finding actors you like and following them from one year to the next! My Italian favorite Monica Belluci, Laura Morante, Meri Marcore, Paz Vega who surely must be Spanish is here in one film this year. No it's not as good as living in Italy but for a good taste of Italy without the travel... hard to beat!
SPOILERS (SYNOPSIS) AHEAD
Prolific director and President of Cinecitta' Studios, Pupi Avati (A HEART ELSEWHERE, THE SECOND WEDDING NIGHT) delivers a touching comedy about three stepsisters playing cupid for their father, a jaded TV star whose career has seen better days. As lacerating as it is comical, Avati's first film set in Rome shines against the sparkling backdrop of Christmas in Italy (and snow failing outside)
Actor Sandro Lanza (the legendary Diego Abatantuono) is having a hard time. Over the past few years he has lost his hair, his friends and also his whip-smart tongue with which he used to be able to turn any situation to his own advantage. Once the star of his own TV series, his role has now dwindled down to a bit part. After a disastrous plastic surgery operation he decides to fake a suicide attempt to garner publicity and get his name back into the celebrity rags.
His three estranged daughters, all by different mothers, rush to his bedside. Reunited after many years, they decide that their father needs to meet a different kind of woman to get him back on track and they have just the woman in mind! Alma Kero (Francesca Neri), a cultured, intelligent and independent woman is the type whom Sandro has always avoided but little does he know, his daughters are already organizing a dinner for them to meet...
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