Marcello Fonte's Mesmerizing Transformations

Marcello Fonte in a scene from “Aspromonte: La terra degli ultimi”

A gifted actor, Marcello Fonte has made a career out of effortlessly transforming himself into every character he plays.

Born in Melito di Porto Salvo at the southern tip of Calabria, Fonte learned his craft on the fly while working a variety of jobs, including fruit vendor, butcher and barber. During those years of balancing day jobs with small parts, he landed roles in Alice Rohrwacher’s “Corpo celeste” (Heavenly Body) and Martin Scorsese’s “Gangs of New York.”

In 2015, Fonte stepped behind the camera to co-direct as well as act in “Asino volo” (Donkey Flies), a coming-of-age story about Maurizio, a headstrong 7-year-old who has to fight to realize his dream of playing the snare drum in the town band. He does so with the counsel and support of a wise donkey and in the face of resistance from his mother, who views music as a luxury the family can’t afford. The film made its North American premiere at Canada’s Junior Italian Contemporary Film Festival in 2016. It isn’t available stateside, but the film’s website, www.asinovola.it, features videos of traditional celebrations in southern Italy as well as pictures that children can download and color.

Fonte in a scene from "Dogman"

Fonte’s breakout role came in Matteo Garrone’s 2018 thriller “Dogman,” which tracks the downward spiral of Fonte as Marcello, a single father who owns a small dog grooming business in a poor suburb. A timid, isolated man, Marcello gets mixed up with the wrong crowd while trying to make extra money selling drugs. His close relationship with his daughter and his passion for harboring animals are jeopardized when hoodlums begin taking advantage of his kind nature. The constant torment at the hands of an unstable, violent neighborhood bully, magnificently played by Edoardo Pesce, soon becomes unbearable, and Marcello loses everything. After serving time in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, he finally reaches the breaking point and does what no one ever thought he was capable of doing. This suspenseful modern masterpiece offers an unblinking view of the emotional damage wrought by bullying as seen through the fear and desperation of the victim.

Edoardo Pesce and Fonte in a scene from "Dogman"

Both actors give harrowing performances — Fonte as a meek loner and Pesce a brutal antagonist who drives his victim over the edge. The film premiered at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival, where Fonte took home the prize for best actor.

Fonte recently portrayed Ciccio Italia, the village poet, in Mimmo Calopresti’s “Aspromonte: La terra degli ultimi” (Aspromonte: Land of the Forgotten). Adapted from Pietro Ciriaco’s book “Via dall’Aspromonte” (Away from Aspromonte) the story brings to light the catastrophic consequences of southern Italy’s socioeconomic woes during the 1950s. The film made its Italian theatrical premiere in November. I was fortunate to be in Rome at the time and attended a screening at Cinema Intrastevere, where the director and actors were present.

I spoke with Fonte about this very Calabrian story and the tragic chapter in the region’s history the film captures. He acknowledged that the Calabria we see in the film is the “old country” that so many residents fled when they came to America. He had a special message for these immigrants. Listen below..

“Aspromonte: La terra degli ultimi” was scheduled to be shown at the Italian Film Festival USA, with Calopresti and Fonte presenting it in several cities. Due to the coronavirus quarantine, however, the events were canceled. We will keep you posted regarding upcoming screenings of the film.

In the meantime, check out Fonte’s award-winning performance in “Dogman,” which is available to stream on Amazon, Google Play, YouTube, Vudu and Hulu. His latest role to arrive on American shores is the part of the Sicilian grandfather, Domenico Tempesta, in the HBO series, "I Know This Much Is True." Click here to watch the trailer. The episode is available on VOD if you are a subscriber. And follow Fonte on Instagram (@fontemarcello), where he often shares images and videos of his life in Calabria.

- Written by Jeannine Guilyard for Fra Noi Magazine. Click here to subscribe.

Comments

The Legend of Alberto Sordi - Rome's Eternal Son

′′They will always judge you, whether you behave well or if you behave badly. So screw it and live as you want but above all don't listen to anyone.′′ - Alberto Sordi By giving his fellow Italians something to laugh about during tumultuous times, he emerged as his generation’s King of Comedy. One of Italy’s best-loved personalities, Alberto Sordi played a pivotal role in Italian cinema from the end of World War II to the postwar economic boom of the 1950s. During those tumultuous years, he gave his countrymen a hearty laugh when they might have otherwise cried. Former Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi perhaps said it best: “Alberto Sordi interpreted the feelings of Italians, especially in their most difficult and tough moments.” Born in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome in 1920, Sordi grew up in a creative household. His mother was an elementary school teacher and his father, a professional musician for the Rome Opera House. A young Sordi joined the children’s choir o...

Luminous Legacies: Yoichi Ohira’s Murano Glass at Magazzino Italian Art

A new exhibition in Cold Spring, New York, is bringing the luminous legacy of Murano glassmaking into focus through the work of Japanese artist Yoichi Ohira. “Yoichi Ohira: Japan in Murano” is on view at Magazzino Italian Art until February 2027. The exhibit showcases the work of Ohira, who became a leading figure in the design of Venetian glassworks on the island of Murano. The exhibition features works that highlight the uniqueness of Ohira’s art across the decades of his career. Ohira’s earliest Murano works blend Venetian glass techniques with his own style. These pieces show balanced shapes, clear surfaces, and striking color combinations. His Venezia e l’Oriente (Venice and the Orient) decanters reflect Venice’s ties to the East, creating vases inspired by Marco Polo’s tales with a modern twist. The exhibition shows Ohira’s respect for Murano’s glass masters, displaying objects alongside preparatory drawings that map ideas to the final works of art. It also explores ho...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

In Conversation with Talia Shire

She has immortalized two of the most memorable characters in American cinema and now she’s promoting her new film that mirrors issues facing the working class. Talia Shire became a household name in the 1970s with her role as Connie Corleone in "The Godfather" and Adrian Balboa in "Rocky"– two characters that went on to experience tremendous growth in the sequels of both films. Shire and her brother, collaborator and director Francis Ford Coppola grew up in a family that embraced the arts. Their father Carmine Coppola was a renowned flutist and composer. He often took his children on the road when he performed. So there was always that creative energy and sense of adventure present in their childhood and adolescent years. “What you have to understand is that Francis is probably the greatest writer. He and Mario (Puzo) did Shakespeare and the Greeks. So people who love "The Godfather" are really listening to literature. He went on and did what ...

Isabella Ferrari- the Damsel and the Thinker

Isabella Ferrari is a versatile actress whose trademark pouty lips and intense, melancholy eyes have been gracing Italian screens for more than three decades. Born in Piacenza on March 31, 1964, Ferrari has perfected the art of playing contrasting roles like the damsel in distress and the complicated, intellectual. Influenced by Italian auteur cinema, which encompasses the neo-realistic approach to filmmaking, she delivers powerful performances with each role she tackles. Ferrari's small screen debut goes back to 1981 in Gianni Boncompagni's television program, "Under the Stars." Two years later, she made her big screen debut in the summer comedy, "Il ras del quartiere." Diego Abatantuono, the star of the Oscar winning film, "Mediterraneo," co-wrote and starred in the film, which put Isabella Ferrari on the map and she hasn't stopped working since. Open Roads 2005: Isabella Ferrari, Antonio Monda and Renato De Maria With doz...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog