Italian Cinema Today

Named by Vogue Italy as the most versatile performer in the history of Italian cinema, Toni Servillo has earned a reputation as a masterful character actor who hauntingly transforms himself into dark, troubled protagonists indifferent to the dubious methods they employ to get what they want. Born in 1958 in Afragola, a town in the province of Naples, Servillo began his acting career on stage during the 1970s, founding Teatro Studio in Caserta and participating in a number of productions in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Influenced by Eduardo De Filippo, he interpreted several of the legendary actor and playwright’s roles and writings.   Servillo made his feature film debut in Mario Martone’s 1992 “Morte di un matematico napoletano” (Death of a Neapolitan Mathematician) and appeared in Martone’s follow-up projects: the 1993 “Rasoi,” the 1997 “I vesuviani” (The Vesuvians) and the 1998 “Teatro di guerra” (Rehearsals for War).   He was tapped by Paolo Sorrentino to play a starring...

Based on his own life growing up in Naples,  Paolo Sorrentino’s latest film, “The Hand of God” (È stata la mano di Dio) recounts the heartbreak and growing pains that shaped the man and filmmaker he is today. The film opens with a stunning coastal aerial shot of Naples at dawn, which leads up to the moment Fabietto Schisa (Filippo Scotti), the main character, develops a teenage infatuation with his voluptuous, unstable Aunt Patrizia ( Luisa Ranieri ). From that point, we are introduced to the eccentric members of his family that undoubtedly gave a young Sorrentino material for his future filmmaking career. The close-ups of a few zany and grotesque characters reflect the visual homages to Federico Fellini that are often present in Sorrentino’s work. He goes a step further in “The Hand of God” to offer an account of Fellini’s first influence on his life and eventual career path. Fabietto’s brother Marchino (Marlon Joubert), an aspiring actor, attends an audition for a Fellini film ...

Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” has advanced to the short list in the 2022 Oscar race. The film is available stateside on Netflix. One of the stars of the film is actress Luisa Ranieri as the eccentric, troubled Aunt Patrizia. Luisa Ranieri Born in Naples in 1973, Ranieri hit the ground running, finding her break out film just two years after starting her acting career. That project, a made for television movie on the life of Maria Callas in which she played the starring role, immediately made her one of the country’s most popular actresses. After numerous supporting roles in both television and film, Ranieri scored the title role in Lodovico Gasparini’s 2016 miniseries “Luisa Spagnoli,” giving her another opportunity to portray a deeply complex character. The film follows the trailblazing entrepreneur who created the Perugina chocolate brand as well as a popular clothing line that still bears her name.  “I was born poor like you and know how hard life can be.” That inspirin...

With so much buzz about  Paolo Sorrentino ’s premiere of “The Hand of God” (È stata la mano di Dio) at the upcoming Venice Film Festival and on Netflix, I’m sharing an opinion piece that I wrote last year about both of his HBO series, “The Young Pope” and “The New Pope.” The article was published in the January, 2021 issue of Fra Noi Magazine .  Sorrentino’s acclaimed HBO series “The Young Pope” and “The New Pope” are visually stunning fantasies of the mysterious world behind the Vatican walls. It was announced last year that a third and final series will round out the trilogy. This fascination surrounding the enigma of Catholicism has been present throughout the director’s career but came to a head in his 2013 Oscar winner, “La grande bellezza” (The Great Beauty). If there was a prelude to the HBO series, it would be that film.   From the opening hymns to the main character, Jep Gambardella ( Toni Servillo ), curiously gazing into a parochial school, the l...

"In viaggio con papà"  I am working on an article that makes reference to Paolo Sorrentino’s "The Great Beauty," so I watched it again over the weekend. I really enjoyed Carlo Verdone’s scenes even more this second time around because the role is such an aberration for him. Being a soft-spoken, failed writer whose last line is “Rome has really disappointed me,” in my opinion, is so different from any of his other roles. I think it was brave of him to accept it. Watching it again, I felt that his presence (and also Sabrina Ferilli’s) added so much authenticity to the film.   Browsing his projects and interviews on YouTube afterwards, I discovered that a complete version of Alberto Sordi’s "In viaggio con papà" was recently uploaded (but taken down shortly thereafter). As I’m on a Sordi marathon after writing my first in-depth article about him recently, I had to watch it. Even without English subtitles, what an experience. Seeing them work their magic ...

“I was born and raised on the island of Ischia, a thermal and volcanic island, to which I belong. It’s the place where I recharge myself with energy, where I am in contact with the elements of nature, magnificent and fearsome as only a volcanic island can be.” Lucianna De Falco is your quintessential southern Italian woman, reflecting the magnificent land of her origins. Beautiful, passionate and exuding strength, she is a character actress who has four decades of roles under her belt. Whether she is on stage, the big screen or television, she has an undeniable commanding presence. “I started my career as an actress thanks to the confidence my mother gave me as a child, De Falco explained. “She had a hair salon where I listened to the various idioms of her foreign clientele. I would asked her, "What language is it?" She always replied, "It's German" or It’s Russian,” making me believe that I could speak all the languages of the world, and thus giving ...

Paolo Sorrentino recently revealed in an interview with Dagospia  that he will be making an autobiographical film for Netflix about his childhood, falling in love with cinema and his journey to becoming a director. The film will be set in the neighborhood of Vomero where Sorrentino spent time as a child and adolescent. Longtime collaborator Nicola Giuliano is attached to the project. There are no other details available. We'll keep you updated when we learn more. In the meantime, click here to read my interview with Sorrentino. Vomero

Flavio Bucci has passed away. Bucci was a masterful character actor who rose to fame in the late 1970s with roles in Dario Argento’s Suspiria and the successful television series Ligabue and Martin Eden . He worked steadily through the decades dividing his time between the stage, film and television.  In 2008, he played the role of Franco Evangelisti in Paolo Sorrentino’s Il Divo and in 2016, starred in Antonio Andrisani and Pascal Zullino’s satire shot in Matera, Il vangelo secondo Mattei . I met him in 2015 while he was shooting that film. We met at a cafe with the crew and he seemed so happy with his aperitivo being adored by these young filmmakers who were so honored to have this maestro in their film.  In 2018, those filmmakers along with Marco Caldoro and Riccardo Zinna, made a documentary film about Bucci’s life that premiered at the 2018 Rome Film Festival. The film, Flavioh , is a labor of love by a group of filmmakers paying homage to one of their id...

We all know Campari for its iconic Italian apéritifs. Over the last few years, the brand has teamed up with Rome’s Cinecittà Studios to create enchanting short films to promote its cocktails.  The series, Red Diaries , consists of short films by contemporary Italian directors Matteo Garrone ("Gomorrah”), Stefano Sollima (“Suburra”) and Academy Award winner Paolo Sorrentino (“The Great Beauty”). Each inspired by a specific Campari cocktail, the films are psychological thrillers that contain a strong element of mystery.  Clive Owen in Killer in Red Click on the links below to watch the films.. Killer in Red by Paolo Sorrentino The Legend of Red Hand  by Stefano Sollima Entering Red by Matteo Garrone Campari's website also features recipes for its cocktails, including the infamous Negroni and Americana as well as the Campari story with past art and film campaigns. So make yourself a cocktail and check out these intriguing work...

Paolo Sorrentino at the 2005 edition of Open Roads: New Italian Cinema, NYC Update: 12 March 2018 It's always exciting to have news about a brand new Paolo Sorrentino film. Scenes from "Loro," his latest collaboration with Toni Servillo, were released today.  The Academy Award-winning director announced the project back in 2016 at the  73rd Venice Film Festival  when he was presenting the first two episodes of his HBO series, "The Young Pope." The project had been shelved for a while and then in April of 2017,  Variety  reported that filming would start during the summer. "Loro" was loosely based on the events surrounding Italy's former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi. In November of 2013, Berlusconi was expelled from parliament amid accusations of sexual relations with a minor and bribing a senator. Two years later, he was found guilty of bribing the senator and was barred from public office for five ye...