L'ultimo Pulcinella

This is probably one of Massimo's finest films to date. He plays Michaelangelo, an unemployed stage actor. Domenico Balsamo excellently played his son, Francesco. After witnessing a mafia killing, Francesco runs off to France. When Michaelangelo realizes his son's whereabouts from his ex-wife, he travels to Paris to locate his son. Unfortunately, it's not a happy reunion between father and son. But after they discover an old run-down theater owned by an eccentric faded actress, Marie, played by Andrea Asti, they convince her to let them use the theater to put on a show with some of the local young adults in the area. Unfortunately, the police commissioner decides to disrupt their rehearsals, to crack down on illegal immigrants and anti-political activities. Massimo sings and acts with great spirit here. Here's another fine example of a great Italian actor not too well known in the U.S.

is just the central temptation. flavor of commedia de l arte and dust of old theater and crisis of a family as motivation for new beginning. it is not magnificent, not interesting, not profound. it is a game with crumbs. politic, family values, sense of existence, art as heart of existence, a touching Marie, a group of young people, different cultures, a father lost in a bizarre universe, a son full of sensitivity and ways to say , discover and preserve the truth. a movie impressing for its flavor. and memories about different Massimo Ranieri. that is all. not revelations. only crumbs, wasted slices of beauty, fake dialogs, drops of nostalgia.