claudette-crivelli

We're living in strangely new, strangely familiar times in Italy. A great showman, Silvio Berlusconi, is at the helm and he is pure showbiz. Last night an escort was the eye of the storm, Patrizia D'Addario. I'm tempted to say, poor girl. Even if she was into her romantic randez-ouzo with a private personal agenda, who can blame her? She's been paid to spend time with the most powerful man in Italy. There is no way she can be accused of being the rotten party here. She represents the oppressed no matter how glamorous. She is the one that's been used and it doesn't matter that's been done with her consent. Abuse of power is based on that. I'm way above you so my time with you is for you a privilege. How terrifying. Santoro, the conductor of the program looses his way sometimes but how funny to see that as soon as the program ended, Porta A Porta started with a vociferous Ignazio LaRussa - perfect casting to play the devil in some High School production - and some of the "bring down Patrizia and destroy her" - guests from the Santoro program. The political debate is a farce and Silvio Berlusconi sets the tone. How sad.

This is an unusual Italian release. It doesn't aspire to more than what it is and what it is, is rather nice. What's good about it is mostly thanks to Luca Argentero and Filippo Negri. Argentero is rapidly becoming a big star and with reason. He has a compelling presence on the screen and you can sense a lot of room for improvement, so, I'm sure that when he meets the "right" director he will become transcendental. Filippo Negri is perfect as his loving foil and their scenes together reeked of an unexpected truth. Claudia Gerini however, more restrained than usual but not restrained enough still plays to the camera for laughs. She doesn't seem to trust her own delivery or anything about her character. The script should be applauded for so many daring things but the structure is faulty to say the least. Gerini's change of heart is far too fast, for a cunning political woman, the fastness contradicted everything about the character but, let me say, I was amused and I was taken by the intentions. Not a film by one of those unbearable "auteurs" and not a mindless Chrismas comedy either. Than in itself makes it a welcome oddity.

I'm not quite sure what have I seen. Was it a comedy? A satire? The story, if you can call it that, unfolds so slowly that there is not a chance to keep anyone's attention. A couple with bourgeois aspirations buy a small villa in the suburbs, they will find themselves living next door to a strange foreign couple. There is nothing in the telling of the story that could make us care about the happenings that ensue. Claudia Gerini goes through the motions, obligatory it seems, in every Italian movie. A strip tease of sorts. The kind of spectacle that it's always present in every Italian TV show and/or movie. I don't get it really, and I'm Italian. If you put a gun to my head and ask me to choose something positive about the movie. I will say, Luca Lionello. He is a very eccentric actor but, appealing, intriguing. I can't wait to see him in something that allows his human side to be at the forefront. The director, a singer/songwriter, must have had an idea behind this enterprise. But I couldn't tell you what the idea was.