Canada's Italian Contemporary Film Festival to Feature the Award Winning "Noi e La Giulia"

“We’re born with our hands full. That’s why as newborn babies, we clench our fists.. because we have the best gifts we could ever wish for.. innocence, curiosity, a will to live. But then they bring us up to be God-fearing. So, we can’t blame ourselves for fearing everything else as well.”

Edoardo Leo’s “Noi e La Giulia” is a thought-provoking, hilarious trip on waking up one day over the age of 40 and realizing that you don’t have a whole lot in life to account for. “You turn 40 and you realize your best friends are a negro, a cammorista and a pair of losers” proclaims a tearful Fausto, Leo’s politically incorrect, right wing character.

The film begins with a day in the lives of three Roman 40-somethings from completely different backgrounds. There is Fausto (Edoardo Leo), a macho, self-confident on-air personality that sells mock watches and is wanted by creditors, Diego (Luca Argentero), a disenchanted car salesman unable to show emotion and Claudio (Stefano Fresi), who is being left by his wife as he shuts the doors to his family business that began in 1910. The unlikely trio are brought together by a country property they are each looking to buy and turn into an agriturismo. Since none of them can afford the property on their own, they decide to become partners. Enter Sergio, a slightly bitter left-wing comrade who is looking to collect unpaid wages from Fausto, and Elisa (Anna Foglietta), a good-hearted, pregnant woman jilted at the alter.. and what ensues is a laugh-until-you-cry adventure of a bunch of self-proclaimed failures, that for the first time in their lives, feel like they are succeeding at doing something good. However, it comes with a price as the local countryside thugs threaten to destroy them if they don’t pay “protection money”. Vito (Carlo Buccirosso) leads the way for a whole host of bandits and shady characters relentless on collecting their fees.

There are so many elements that make this film a modern-day masterpiece. Leo and his cast perfectly convey the magic we feel when a dream is realized. There is the right amount of conflict and tension just when it seems that everything is going well. The comic timing between the characters is impeccable. The professionalism and skill of the actors bring an element of classic Italian cinema. “I soliti ignoti” (The Big Deal on Madonna Street) came to mind many times, particularly when hostage, Vito, complained about the onion in his carbonara. I couldn’t help but think of these petty criminals in the middle of robbing a house, helping themselves to some pasta and cece that was on the stove. This only validates what I have been saying for more than a decade in my articles about contemporary Italian cinema. We have indeed reached a new “Golden Age” in which writers, directors, actors and all filmmakers for that matter, have reinvented cinema for their own generation while keeping in mind the roots of the past. Yesterday, we had Mario Monicelli, Vittorio Gassman, Claudio Cardinale, Marcello Mastroianni and Antonio De Curtis. Today, we have Edoardo Leo, Alessandro Gassman, Anna Foglietta, Luca Argentaro and Stefano Fresi- each actor with his or her own signature style and characterisics but with an echo and nod of respect for those who set the original bar. I believe those maestros of the past would be pleased to see the actors to whom they have passed the torch.

“Noi e La Giulia” has won a whole slew of awards, including two recent David di Donatello’s for Carlo Buccirosso’s performance and Edorado Leo’s direction. The film will be shown this week at the Italian Contemporary Film Festival in Canada. For information on showtimes, visit the festival online at- http://icff.ca/blog/2015/05/07/noi-e-la-giulia/

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...

Alessandro Gassmann: Born to Act

Alessandro Gassmannin his directorial debut "Razzabastarda" Alessandro Gassmann is the son of the iconic Italian actor/director Vittorio Gassman and French actress Juliette Mayniel. He was born in 1965 and grew up around cinema royalty. He made his cinema debut in 1982 at the age of 17 in his father's autobiographical film, "Di padre in figlio." He went on to study his craft under his father's direction at the Theatre Workshop of Florence. Vittorio Gassman was very active in theater and seemed just as comfortable on stage as he did in front of the camera. Known for his powerful interpretations of Dante's "Inferno" and "Paradiso," it is no surprise that he nurtured his son's acting aspirations on stage before he launched his career in television and film. One of Gassmann's strong qualities, which he undoubtedly inherited from his father is his incredible range and ease in going from genre to genre. He can play ...

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 ...

The Timeless Vision of Pier Paolo Pasolini

Pondering his films and poetry, I wonder if the uniqueness of Pier Paolo Pasolini's films was rooted in his unconventional childhood. Born in Bologna in 1922, Pasolini's father was a lieutenant in the army, and his family was always moving. He grew up in various small towns in Northern Italy. After his parents separated, he spent most of his time in his mother's hometown of Casarsa, in the region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. There, he grew to respect the area's peasant culture and began to write poetry in the region's dialect. He studied literature and art history at the University of Bologna and was drafted into the army during World War II. The war proved to be especially tragic for his family as his younger brother was executed by Communist partisans. Following the war, he returned to Casarsa where he worked as a teacher and ironically became a leading member of the Communist party there. Pasolini was later expelled from the party due to allegations of homo...

Portrait for a friend: 'How Strange to Be Named Federico'

Ettore Scola on the set of 'How Strange to Be Named Federico' A sentimental portrait for a friend, Ettore Scola’s 2013 “Che strano chiamarsi Federico” (“How Strange to Be Named Federico”) is both a tribute to Federico Fellini and a reflection on friendship, and an artist’s passion for filmmaking. Scola created a personal and imaginative film that moves between documentary, fiction, memory, and fantasy, bringing to life important moments he shared with Fellini during their decades-long friendship as well as highlights from Fellini’s own life and career while showing how deeply Fellini influenced Scola himself. The result is an inviting, nostalgic, and at times playful portrait of one of Italy and the world’s most beloved filmmakers. The film opens on the beach where a figure depicting Fellini sits in a director’s chair and watches performers audition for him. The beach is likely symbolic of Fellini’s roots in the seaside town of Rimini and his beach-going days on the c...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog