Skip to main content

Checco Zalone Opening the 2016 Edition of the ICFF in Toronto

With Checco Zalone at the ICFF press conference in Toronto
Updated 6/2016- Checco Zalone and his director Gennaro Nunziante were the talk of the town in Toronto, Canada recently during the screenings and opening gala of the Italian Contemporary Film Festival. Theaters across Canada were packed with audiences taking in the duo's latest brilliant collaboration, "Quo vado?", which is being touted as the highest-grossing Italian film in history. With box office earnings of €52.1 million in the first 12 days, the film beat out "Star Wars: The Force Awakens". Now, it's touring the festival circuit throughout the world and people all over the globe are getting the chance to see just why Italian audiences came out in droves to see this film.
 
Checco Zalone
 
The infamous character known as Checco Zalone was born Luca Pasquale Medici in the southern Italian city of Bari in 1977. He attended a local high school and then studied Law at l'Università di Bari "Aldo Moro". He performed with local musicians and then made his comedy debut in 2004 along with Giacinto Lucariello e Pierluigi Morizio. They hosted a local beauty pageant called, Ragazza Cinema Ok.

A few years later, he landed a spot on the television variety show, Zelig and his career in comedy took off. In 2009, he made his first feature film, "Cado delle nubi" (Fall from the Clouds). Directed by Nunziante, Zalone plays a down-on-his-luck dreamer, just dumped by his girlfriend and dealing with the political incorrectness of accepting the fact that his cousin is gay.

Gennaro Nunziante at the ICFF press conference
His 2011 follow-up film, "Che bella giornata", also directed by Gennaro Nunziante broke box office records, taking in 2.5 million euro during in just two days. "Che bella giornata" is the story of a clumsy security guard who unknowingly falls in love with a terrorist. The film was wildly successful in Italy and paved the way for "Sole a catinelle" and his latest film, "Quo Vado?". If his last films broke records, his latest blew those numbers out of the water.

"Quo vado?" was the first of Checco Zalone's films I've seen and after seeing it, it became obvious why his films are so popular in Italy. For the first 10 minutes, I did nothing but laugh. The pace is fast moving with joke after joke, many of which poke fun at the stereotypes of the southern Italian culture. If you grew up Italian American or if you have spent time in Italy, you will get the humor right away. With that said, subtitles are needed. There is no way that his films could be understood outside Italy by someone who doesn't speak fluent Italian unless you are watching with subtitles. It's just not possible. The dialogue is quick, sharp and filled with irony and cultural references. Thanks to the ICFF for providing subtitles for the North American audience, the entire theater was roaring with laughter throughout the entire film.
 
Gennaro Nunziante and Checco Zalone on the Red Carpet in Toronto
"Quo vado?" follows the now infamous Checco as he does whatever it takes to keep his secure government job, which provides him sick leave, benefits, paid vacation and a Christmas bonus. When he refuses to accept a buyout from government officials in Rome, he is forced to do the jobs that no one wants. However, he seems to have a talent for making the best out of a bad situation, so everything hilariously works out in his favor. There are some pretty crazy storylines that would only work in a Checco Zalone film.

I attended the press conference in Toronto where the actor appeared with his director and longtime friend Gennaro Nunziante. They were down-to-earth and very accommodating to the room full of press. The journalists were able to ask one question and mine pertained to the comedy genre. Since the duo has clearly mastered the this genre, I wondered if they'd ever venture into different territory.. perhaps drama. Checco Zalone's animated and lengthy answer generated hysteric laughter and in the end, the answer was no. I guess there's no reason to fix what's not broken.

It was just announced that his next film is slated for a 2017 release. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, read my interview with Stefano Grillo, one of the actors in "Quo vado?" and watch the trailer..

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Interview: Alessandro Borghi on Suburra, Italian Cinema Across the Globe and the Ties of Friendship

Actor Alessandro Borghi is emerging as one of contemporary Italian cinema’s great talents. Battling 4-for-4 in the hit film department with a whopping five projects currently in production, Borghi was born in Rome in 1986. He began his acting career 20 years later with the television show Distretto di polizia and went on to make numerous other appearances on popular TV series, including regular roles in the recent 2013 series L’Isola followed by the 2015 series Squadra Mobile .  The same year, he transitioned to film with Claudio Caligari’s posthumous hit Non essere cattivo (Don’t Be Bad), which was also Italy’s entry for Oscar consideration that year. Caligari’s tragic story of the bond of friendship between the two main characters, Vittorio and Cesare captivated American cinephiles when it premiered at Cinema Italian Style - an annual showcase of contemporary Italian cinema in Los Angeles. With Borghi as Vittorio and Luca Marinelli as Cesare, the two team up to explore a
Post a Comment
Read more

Riccardo Scamarcio Joins Cast of "John Wick 2"

Update to our original January 18 post.. - According to the Hollywood Reporter, the follow-up to John Wick has been given an official title — John Wick, Chapter 2 — and a release date from Lionsgate: Feb. 10, 2017. It's just been reported that Keanu Reeves is in Rome shooting his new film, "John Wick 2" with Italian actors Riccardo Scamarcio and Claudia Gerini . The film is an action-thriller and sequel to "John Wick". Shooting began last October in New York City. John Wick, played by Reeves, is a hitman that comes out of retirement to seek vengeance for the theft of his vintage car and the killing of his puppy, a gift from his recently deceased wife. The scenes being shot in Italy for the sequel reportedly take his career to the international level.  Riccardo Scamarcio One of Italy's most recognizable faces, Riccardo Scamarcio has built a solid career based on the diversity in the roles he chooses and the intensity with which he plays the
Post a Comment
Read more

Mimmo Verdesca's Portrait of Alida Valli Streams One Day Only in the US

A new documentary about actress Alida Valli will be available in the United States on Sunday, March 21 through the virtual film festival, Filming Italy Los Angeles. Contemporary actress Giovanna Mezzogiorno is the voice of Alida Valli in Mimmo Verdesca's new film, “Alida” aka “Alida Valli: In Her Own Words” on the Italian icon whose influence reached far beyond Italian shores. The film consists of photos, 8mm home movies, archival video from Istituto Luce Cinecittà, Rai Teche, and Rome's film school Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia as well as scenes from her most memorable films, which include Mario Soldati's "Little Ancient World," Alfred Hitchcock's "The Paradine Case," Carol Reed's "The Third Man" alongside Orson Wells, Luchino Visconti's "Senso" and Bernardo Bertolucci's "1900." The film also features testimonies of those who knew and loved her. From her family to her closest friends to the great art
Post a Comment
Read more

A Conversation with Actor- Luca Calvani from Warner Bros. Upcoming Release "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."

The cast and filmmakers of The Man from U.N.C.L.E.  in Rome  A few years ago, I interviewed actor, Luca Calvani on the occasion of his U.S. release, When in Rome . Today, we are revisiting our conversation as he is promoting his much anticipated spy thriller, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Directed by Guy Ritchie, the all-star cast includes Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Jared Harris, and Hugh Grant. Based on the television series by Sam Rolfe, the story is set in the 1960's and follows CIA agent Napoleon Solo and KGB operative Illya Kuryakin as they participate in a joint mission against a mysterious criminal organization, which is working to proliferate nuclear weapons. The U.S. release date is set for August 14, but the cast recently did some press for the film in the Eternal City, where much of it was shot. Luca Calvani Born in Tuscany, Calvani has traveled the world following his career. He began working as a model in the 1990's
Post a Comment
Read more

Interview: Raoul Bova on Second Chances and the New Generation of Italian Filmmakers

Actor Raoul Bova recently presented two of his films in Canada at the Italian Contemporary Film Festival and the Niagara Integrated Film Festival: Carlo Vanzina’s time travel comedy "Rewind and Reboot" (Torno Indietro e Cambio Vita) and the romantic comedy "All Roads Lead to Rome," which he presented alongside cinema legend and co-star Claudia Cardinale . Bova’s acting career spans more than two decades and it has been a joy to watch him grow and evolve as an actor. He’s not afraid to take on complex characters like Lorenzo in Ferzan Ozpetek’s  "Facing Windows" while he seems to embrace and have fun with lighter storylines like the two he just presented.    I had the great pleasure of meeting Raoul Bova in Niagara Falls where he presented "All Roads Lead to Rome" with Claudia Cardinale. He had a full schedule lined up that day with very little time for interviews, but I managed to slip in three quick questions and he was graceful eno
Post a Comment
Read more