L'uomo in più

Paolo Sorrentino has become one of the few major writer/director talents from Italy. Whether you will like his movies will depend on your preference for Italy's culture and way of storytelling, in Sorrentino's case a rather intellectualized, stylized approach to drawing his characters, often at the expense of believability of plot or his progenitor's actions. Having said that, this holds especially true for this early work of his from '01, loosely drawn on two figures from Italian public life of the 80's - a budding soccer player and a pop star in the Adriano Celentano vein. Without giving away any of the details, suffice to say that this film is one of Sorrentino's lesser efforts, especially the ending which doesn't make much sense.

I saw the trailer of the movie a few weeks before it was at the cinema during a vacation that I spend in Napels where the movie has been made: I was captured immediately and I understood pretty soon that Sorrentino is a talent director. He is able to draw the parallel lives of two men that got the same name different lives and morals but tied here and there by something magic in the frames in their destiny.

ANTONIO PISAPIA and ANTONIO PISAPIA will cross their roads in the time of a sad glimpse but sufficient to share their common sadness.

In the beginning we see the success for both: one is an expert not too much young soccer player next to the retire but designated for a sure trainer career, the other one a pop romantic singer too much sure of himself but with a awful memory hidden inside. The unforgiven blade of the destiny is around the corner and in a blink will hit their lives changing the happiness around into the deep decadence: an heavy injury playing a training match organised by managers the players of his own club after a rifuse to play a connected match and a press-sex-scandal whirpool . No return for them but "One Man Up" of two will be able with an extreme gesture to revenge the weaker, the one not able to contest the adversity.

The performances of Toni Servillo and Andrea Renzi (the singer and the player )are terrific.

.....if you find the way to see it.. not to be missed!!!

Having watched other films by Paolo Sorrentino, I was expecting the same refined film-making plus the usual original subject and convincing acting. While the last is certainly present in L'uomo in più (thank mostly to Toni Servillo), I found the whole plot quite disappointing and a rather standard cinematography. Additionally, a few characters are roughly sketched: they are presented during the plot but disappear a few scenes later. Add a general lack of rhythm and a banal intertwining between football and music, full of clichés (the bad manager surrounded by naked girls, the old football manager training youngster near the motorway, just to name a few) and you have a movie that is both too short and too slow at the same time. Watch the other titles by Sorrentino, they're by far better than this.

Every film Toni Servillo is in he is the character. Sometimes it is 20 min in or so before i realise it is him. This is acting at a level no one else i have seen, and i am old and watched untold movies from silents to now, achieves. Amazing. Just enjoy his films.

A directors debut, with this actor, a win before starting. Perhaps watch to get the messages re fame, infamy, and those leeches onto those with fame. Not be nice to everyone on the way up as you need them when you are on the way down. No matter how nice, no one wants to know you on the way down, failure is catchy? Worth watching for sure. No spoilers.