Italian Cinema Today

Last Sunday we launched the eighth edition of our winter series Cinema & Cibo with an update from our first edition in 2014, a film shown that year at the Berlin Film Fest that has recently been made available online by Cineteca di Bologna. Click here for the story.  In this week’s edition,  a fun, quick recipe for a classic Roman dish and some recollections of the great Roman actor  Alberto Sordi . This interview took place in the mid-late 1990s. In this clip, he talks about how he and his actor friends didn’t have much money in the early days, so they just ate once a day and it was always prior to a performance to build up strength. During the interview, the host was insisting on talking about the beautiful women with whom he shared the screen and he seemed bashful about it, almost uncomfortable, saying that he never kissed on-screen and wouldn’t divulge the off-screen romances of his youth. Although he seems a little tired, I enjoyed this interview because his sub...

Today is the last day of Cinema Italian Style’s virtual film festival. Having already seen several of the films in other virtual festivals this year, there were just four left to see. I had a feeling that Francesco Bruni’s “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright” was going to be heavy on the emotions, so I kept putting it off. Then today I watched it and wow, what a masterpiece.  Bruni’s writing and direction brought to life this heart-wrenching story of a guy in his mid-40s diagnosed with leukemia and his journey with treatment. When you cry during the first five minutes of a film, you know you’re going to be emotionally invested. But I also laughed as much as I cried, thanks to Bruni’s sense of humor and sharp writing skills. The film’s perfect casting drove the story home. Kim Rossi Stuart in the lead role was at times unrecognizable as his character, Bruno, was undergoing treatment. He’s one of contemporary Italian cinema’s treasures. I remember seeing him in the Taviani Brothers’ 2015 ...

He was nearly 50 years old when he made his feature film debut. Some thirty years later, he is one of Italy’s most beloved character actors.   Renato Carpentieri was born in 1943 in Savignano Irpino, a village in Campania. He originally set out to pursue a career in architecture but became passionate about culture and theater. During the mid-1960s and ‘70s, he helped to promote cultural events in Naples and co-founded a stage company there called Teatro dei Mutamenti where he participated as a director, playwright and actor. In 1980, he began to transition from theater to screen with two television mini-series. A decade later, he made his feature film debut in Gianni Amelio’s “Porte aperte” (Open Doors).    In 1993, upon winning a Nastro d'Argento for best supporting actor for his performance in Gabriele Salvatores' "Puerto Escondido," he took on the role of Gerardo in Nanni Moretti’s cult classic “Caro Diario” (Dear Diary). The role proved to be his breakout film,...

I've been seeing so many posters on social media promoting Giuseppe Bonito's new film Figli (Children), which will open in Italy on January 23. The film stars two of my personal favorites, Paola Cortellesi as Sara and Valerio Mastandrea as Nicola, a happily married couple with a 6-year-old girl daughter, Anna. The arrival of their second child, Pietro, upsets the balance of the whole family, giving rise to hilariously tragic situations. Extravagant grandparents, friends on the verge of nervous breakdowns, and unlikely babysitters will not help them. Between moments of happiness and situations of despair, Sara and Nicola do all they can to cope and stay together. The release of the film will undoubtedly be a bittersweet experience for the cast and crew because the writer, Mattia Torre, passed away after losing his battle with cancer in July of last year at the age of 47. In a director's note, Bonito stated that he feels Figli is a film by Torre because he didn't s...

The professional collaboration and friendship between actors Marco Giallini and Valerio Mastandrea goes back decades. The two began working together more than 20 years ago on the television show Infiltrato.   More recently, director Paolo Genovese has paired the actors in his last two feature films, Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers) and The Place , both of which have screened in the United States to great reviews. I caught up with Genovese in June while he was presenting The Place at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's annual film series Open Roads: New Italian Cinema. I asked him about this most magical collaboration of two immense talents of contemporary Italian cinema. Watch his response (in Italian with English subtitles)... He mentions at the end that he would like to make a movie just with them. Apparently, he is not the only director with that idea. Simone Spada is at work on his second feature film  Domani è un altro giorno (Tomorrow is An...

One look at actress Anna Foglietta in her any of her roles, and the Golden Age of Italian cinema comes to mind. Among Italy’s most sought-after actresses today, Foglietta brings to the table a classic eloquence of yesterday while representing Italy’s modern woman. Born in Rome in 1979, Foglietta began her career in 2005 with a role in the RAI television series La squadra . Her character Agent Anna De Luca had a two-year run on the series as she was transitioning to cinema with Paolo Virzì’s 2006 ensemble project 4-4-2- Il gioco più bello del mondo . Since then, she has become one of Italy’s most diverse actresses, transforming herself into interesting, layered characters for comedies and dramas alike. Aside from a small part in Anton Corbijn’s 2010 film The American starring George Clooney, Foglietta’s work began reaching mainstream American audiences in 2015. As Elisa in Edoardo Leo’s 2015 comedy Noi e la Giulia , Foglietta showed her funny side playing a goofball pregn...

I read a quote about Paolo Genovese’s “Perfetti sconosciuti” (Perfect Strangers) -   “Un film che rimane impresso, prima nella pancia e poi nella mente.” –A film that remains first in the stomach and then in the mind. That sums up how you will feel upon watching the film. If you’re a filmmaker, you will take it one step further by asking yourself, "Why didn’t I think of that?” This is a universal story, a testament to the times in which we live. If I was limited to one word in reviewing this film, it would be, genius. That word covers just about every aspect of the film from the writing to the directing to the acting to the lighting to the set design to the wardrobe. Each person, every detail made “Perfetti Sconosciuti” a true masterpiece. I watched it several times before I attempted to write this. The first time, I just read the subtitles. The second time, I focused on the performances and then I watched it again to pay attention to the production details such as the...

He's an intense, articulate actor with dozens of diverse roles to his credit, and his latest film, Perfetti Sconosciuti (Perfect Strangers) is set to make its North American premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Roman-born actor, Marco Giallini shines in the roles he takes on, whether he is the oddball in a comedy, the sexy mystery man in a drama or the bad guy you’d love to hate in a thriller.   In each case, Giallini reels us into his character’s fascinating world with his impressive range of performing. Born in Rome in 1963, Giallini grew up with a number of interests including music, motorcycles and soccer. Before he discovered his call to act, he explored his passion for music, starting his own band in the early 80’s called, I Monitors. Then in 1985, destiny knocked at his door, and Giallini enrolled in acting school. He studied theater and for nearly a decade, participated in local productions in Rome’s many venues. It was in 1995 that h...

Anna Falchi was born Anna Kristiina Palomaki, on April 22, 1972, in Tampere, Finland. Her mother, Kaarina Palomaki Sisko, is Finnish, while her father, Benito "Tito" Falchi, is from Romagna, Italy. Growing up in Italy, Anna was a tomboy, and had a fervent imagination. She is known mostly for her prolific career in modelling. However, she tried her hand at acting and landed a role in one of my favorite Italian comedies, Nessun messaggio in segreteria . I consider it my one of my favorites because it brought together so many amazing, talented filmmakers during a time when they were all just starting out. Those filmmakers, Pierfrancesco Favino, Valerio Mastandrea, Luca Miniero and Paolo Genovese are now huge names in contemporary Italian cinema, so it's great to look back and see their work in a low-profile film completely different from the bigger-budget stardom they now know.   Watch the trailer . Anna Falchi started her career as a...

On Day 5 of our week-long series, 7 Days - 7 Women, in which we are profiling seven strong, talented women working as filmmakers, writers or visual artists, we take a look at the career of actress and director, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi. Valeria Bruni Tedeschi is a familiar face and respected actress in Italy. Until now, Americans haven't had the chance to see her work. But the tides are changing and Bruni Tedeschi is slowly but surely making her way to North American shores. Born in Torino in 1964, Bruni Tedeschi comes from a talented, affluent family. Her sister is the model, actress, singer and former first lady of France, Carla Bruni. Her mother, Marisa Borini is a concert pianist and her father, Alberto Bruni Tedeschi is a classical composer, while her grandfather, Virginio Bruni Tedeschi, founded the giant Italian tire manufacturing company CEAT in the 1920's. Bruni Tedeschi left Torino at a young age and grew up in France. Her family left Italy in the 70's to escape...

Born in 1972, Mastandrea began his career some 20 years later by accident.   He accompanied a friend to an audition and ended up landing a part in the film when the director saw him. Since then, he’s been working non-stop, appearing in nearly 50 movies in just 15 years. Just watch him perform and you’ll see why.   To say that Mastandrea has a strong on-screen presence is an understatement.   He grabs and takes ownership of his scenes in way that comes across as effortless to the viewer.   His performances are very intense and dramatic as he gives 100% in every role he chooses.   What sets Mastandrea apart from other actors is the diversity of those roles. For example, in Daniele Vicari's 2001 blockbuster hit, " Velocita Massima" ( Maximum Velocity ) , a film about the culture of street racing, Mastandrea takes on the role of Stefano, a mechanic who rebuilds engines to be used in races.   His role shows the sides of being a young guy involved in ...