Alessandro
Piva’s much anticipated follow-up film, Mio Cognato (My Brother In Law) was a
huge success, further emphasizing his talent and originality as one of Italy’s
most talented directors. The film co-stars two of Italy’s most versatile
actors, Sergio Rubino and Luigi Lo Cascio. The chemistry between the two of
them is so strong, it’s as if you are watching actual brothers-in-law
interacting with each other. They are a couple of average-Joes, a little down
on their luck, followed by a trail of unfortunate coincidences and shady
hoodlums. The combination of Piva’s unique style of shooting, articulate
direction and clever screenwriting will make you sympathize with the
characters’ hardships. Furthermore, Mio Cognato has one of those shocking,
unexpected endings that make you want to see the film again in order to
re-connect the dots that led to such a surprise. It is one roller coaster of a movie. You will laugh and you will cry.
Mio
Cognato and La Capagira were both made in the seaside town of Bari, located in the
southern region of Puglia. They document everyday life and in some cases, the
difficulty of living in the south: a consistent theme with today’s new batch of
Italian filmmakers. Piva’s films succeed in doing this with a sharp sense of
humor carried by characters who are endearingly flawed and a bit overwhelmed
with life and all of its responsibilities. The powerful simplicity of his films
will make you fall in love with his Bari; his Bari because Piva shoots the
scenes in and around Bari with a sentimental eye that pays homage to this city
that hosted his adolescence, and in doing so has captured the strong affection
he has for the Pugliese town.
His
latest film, Milionari takes him to the streets of Naples to recount the life
of one of the city's most notorious crime bosses. The film
features a great cast of actors and is so far, getting great reviews from
critics. The film will be in Italian theaters tomorrow.
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