Italian Cinema Today

Movies are personal, intimate expressions of those who make them and those who identify with them. When you are really moved by a film, you will always remember that time in your life associated with it. Michael Radford’s Il Postino arrived in America during the summer of 1995. I had been living in New York City, Brooklyn to be exact, sharing a studio apartment with a bunch of actors I met on a short film. Chasing a dream to be a screenwriter, I held a day job in public relations for a museum and took film jobs on the side. One of them was a “Parking PA” on Woody Allen’s Mighty Aphrodite . The shift was 6pm – 6am. It was the entry level position of entry level positions. Hearing and feeling the West Coast calling my name, I went back to my hometown in Upstate New York for the summer before heading to San Francisco with a one way bus ticket. That’s when Michael Radford’s film came to town. I just remember sitting there after the credits rolled, in tears with that ending kno...

"Ci mancherai tanto, Massimo" - "We will miss you so much, Massimo" is the headline on one of the many websites dedicated to the memory of the great Italian screen comic Massimo Troisi. Born in San Giorgio a Cremano, outside Naples, Troisi became involved in theater, co-founding with friends Lello Arena and Enzo Decaro the comedy troupe I Saraceni at just 17-years-old. Within a few years, the troupe, later re-named La Smorfia, became so well known, they were invited to appear on various national TV variety shows. In 1981, Troisi co-wrote, directed, and starred in his first feature film, the hugely popular "Ricomincio da tre" (I'm Starting from Three) and a new style of Italian comedy was launched. The story follows the dark-eyed, handsome Troisi. As he exuded an extraordinary sense of innocence on screen, there was a relaxed quality to his work on this film- the absolute opposite of the style of his close friend and fellow comic Roberto Be...

 With an impressive list of film and television titles, Maria Grazia Cucinotta proves that her talent matches her Sicilian bombshell looks. Born in Messina in 1968, Cucinotta got into modeling when she was just a teenager. Shortly thereafter, she headed north to Milan where she ended up leaving the modeling industry altogether for a career in television and film. Although she has paid her dues with hard work and dedication, success came almost instantly.  She was taking acting lessons while working on her first job as an actress, a television show called, " Indietro tutta ."  It wasn't long after her TV debut that she was spotted by the late actor and director, Massimo Troisi . It was Troisi's 1994 Oscar nominated film, " Il Postino" that catapulted Cucinotta into the international spotlight, and it has been non-stop ever since.  She has appeared in dozens of movies and television shows in Italy and the United States.  She was even a Bond girl i...