My Name Is Tanino

At a first see, My name is Tanino is a funny, well-directed and well-acted comedy (things that are not at all a given in the recent, mediocre Italian cinematography). But it's also a (extremely light) description of the not always easy relationship between Europe (and, in particular, Italy) and US; I mean the ambivalent view of admiration and suspicion toward each other. And if, to an American viewer, the depiction of the typical WASP family and of the typical italo-American family may be a bit stereotyped, the character of Tanino is quite different from Italians you see in movie and TV-show from the States (like the infamous Paolo from Friends...). My name is Tanino could also be a drive to the foreigner to discover other Virzì's movies, like Ovosodo... I don't know if it was ever subtitled, though.

Best Comedy That I've Seen This Year!!! This is a story a little Italian, a little American, dedicated to the dreams of young people. The cast and crew did a wonderful job.

I'm always a bit lukewarm on these movies where a character makes a bunch of bad choices that lead him on a series of misadventures. It doesn't help when the character is a bit unpleasant like Tanino, as he comes off a bit sleazy and unlikable. I wasn't a fan of the performance from Corrado Fortuna, and there are definitely moments when I just don't care what happens to him. However, I will admit that for a large portion of the film he's not being an actively mean-spirited guy. He tends to act like he doesn't comprehend what's going on around him, and when he's surrounded by the American family that he barely understands it was the best part of the film. The entire movie kind of goes dramatically downhill after that sequence, and ends on a truly lackluster note with his dream director. I admit that there were a handful of moments that made me chuckle, but most of the way through My Name is Tanino didn't do much that I found entertaining.

I am known for hating foreign films, never wanting to give them a chance. But when I visited Italy this summer with my mother and sister, I figured I had to watch a movie there just to say I did. And I am so happy I did! It was the best movie ever! Even though I don't speak Italian, I do speak Spanish so I understood the whole movie pretty much (there were no subtitles). I recommend this movie to EVERYONE!!!!

There are two power points with this film:

Rachel McAdams debuts as the ultimate eye magnet, with some sweet acting.

Tanino is so very Sicilian in contrast to the WASP American family that the premise is very much alive in every single scene. He being himself suffices to underline the plot time and again.

Other than these two, well, the story is highly modest and appeals mostly to people who are into Italian culture. There's nothing to whip your imagination or elevate you in ways you don't expect. Professionally made with a very economical approach both to the story and the production, that's an alright film.