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...

Born in Palermo in 1959, Roberto Andò began his career as a documentary filmmaker and went on to direct for the stage. In 1990, he worked as a liaison to Francis Ford Coppola during the filming of “The Godfather: Part III.” A decade later, he made his feature film debut with “Il manoscritto del Principe” (The Prince's Manuscript), which was produced by Giuseppe Tornatore (Cinema Paradiso). Andò’s international breakout film came in 2013 with the comedy “Viva La Libertà,” the story of a politician who disappears after polls show him behind in an upcoming election. In an effort to keep the disappearance quiet, his aide ( Valerio Mastandrea ) comes up with a scheme to have him replaced by his twin brother who suffers from bipolar depression. Overcoming the obstacles, he wows the public, quickly turning the poll numbers around. Veteran stage and screen actor Toni Servillo is brilliant playing both brothers.    Andò’s next film carried the political theme, this time in the form of...

Roberto And ò 's latest film " Le confessioni"   (The Confessions)   is making its way through North America.  And ò  presented the film last week in New York at the annual Italian film series Open Roads: New Italian cinema . Tonight, the film will premiere in Quebec at Canada's annual Italian Contemporary Film Festival . The political thriller blends money, power and politics to give a contemporary portrait of the effect of capitalism throughout the world and how a select few economists, lacking in moral ground, are worsening the lives of the weak for their own benefit. A monk is at the center of a suspicious death and through his silence and wisdom, calls out the corruption, leading a few to second guess their choices. Four languages are spoken in the film and several nations are represented. The screenplay was articulately written, equally distributing the responsibility of each nation. I spoke with Roberto And ò  while he wa...