Kiss Me, Guido

dumb, with broad stereotypes, but it was quite funny. I spent my first sixteen years in and Italian neighborhood in the Bronx, and the Italian guys are pretty on the mark. I found the gay guys a little too much of a stereotype, but not enough to ruin the film. I also think it is a mistake to call this a gay film. It is really a light comedy with a gay man and an Italian-American man. If you are looking for something PC with a strong social statement on being gay, don't bother with this film. If you have an open mind, time to kill, and want to laugh, this film is pretty good. And yes, I can believe some guy from the Bronx thinking that GWM means "guy with money."

Stereotypes, full of them yes, but behind every stereotype there is a truth or two.... As a person who fits into the two main groups portrayed in this movie and who comes from New York City, I have to say one only need take a stroll through the Village or through the Bronx to see those stereotypes running around!

This movie was good fun, a farce, a case of mistaken identity--the little bits of Italian thrown in made me laugh and think of my own family and how often I heard some of the phrases used in it. Well, I certainly had a friend who was just like Terry and saw plenty of Dakotas running around too.

This little movie holds a mirror up to some who fit the stereotype and says "laugh at yourself" there is humor in life all around us. Note the lack of violence and the theme that the most improbable pair of people may just be able to find that they have something in common. It's not Oscar material--accept it for what it is and have a laugh. Oh yes, Nick Scotti ain't bad to look at either.

KISS ME GUIDO needs a re write and a remake. It is actually a funny premise fairly well executed, edited and cast...but with far too many stereotypes. Also the sound recording is not good at all. All these negatives still do not outweigh the fact that there is a good movie here waiting to be snazzed up into something played more into the galaxy of LA CAGE AUX FOLLES or PRISCILLA . As a low budget NY gay-ish camp/ Italian comedy it is simple and funny, but seems like a first draft that was made instead of reworking and reinventing and then snaring a better budget and bigger mindset. I like KISS ME GUIDO enough to give it a peck not a smooch. Maybe Tony Vitale can do as I suggest and boost the whole thing up a few octaves and make it bigger and louder and funnier and genuinely raucous. See NORMAN IS THAT YOU from 1976 for pointers....or THE (new musical version) PRODUCERS from Mel Brooks and go there.

"Kiss Me Guido," written and directed by Tony Vitale, is a little fun piece set in New York's Bronx and lower Manhattan. The light comedy involves mistaken identities, misunderstandings, and mis-pairings, with somewhat stereotypical character types and situations. A sincere and energetic cast is headed by handsome Nick Scotti in an impressive comic performance, and all the players seem to be enjoying themselves with this little romp. I personally found it to be an amusing diversion.

KISS ME, GUIDO

Aspect ratio: 1.85:1

Sound format: Ultra-Stereo

Writer/director Tony Vitale's comedy of (gay) manners is lightweight, inoffensive stuff distinguished by vivid performances and smart dialogue, but the film refuses to take risks and almost succumbs to blandness as a result. Ultra-cute Nick Scotti is the ultra-macho Italian-American stud who, due to circumstances beyond his control, finds himself rooming with ultra-gay Anthony Barrile. Thereafter, the film basically examines the ways in which these two disparate personalities attempt to reconcile themselves to one another, and how friendships are formed under duress. Gay viewers attuned to Vitale's sensibilities will find themselves laughing out loud at regular intervals, while everyone else will probably smile politely, admiring the witty one-liners while never really 'getting' the joke.

Everything hinges on the appeal of the central characters, and they're a bit of a mixed bag: Despite his rough-hewn exterior, Scotti's character comes across as too much of a nice guy to really pose a threat to anyone - gay or straight - but his performance is so natural and strong that he simply acts poor Barrile right off the screen! Scotti also has the distinct advantage of being devastatingly beautiful, which Vitale exploits in several amusing ways, especially a dream sequence inspired by THE SOUND OF MUSIC(!). Anthony DeSando plays Scotti's brother with an even greater degree of exaggerated studliness, like a firecracker going off on the 4th of July, while Craig Chester enjoys himself as Barrile's camp best friend. The film is charming, safe, and very watchable - and Scotti's only 'gay' kiss in the entire picture is with the one person you'd least expect. Enjoy...

NB. The movie inspired a short-lived TV series, "Some of My Best Friends" (2001), with Jason Bateman as the gay guy, and Danny Nucci as his ultra-hunky straight roommate.