Estamos Todos Bem

This film should not be missed, it's an amazing job by one of the best actors, Mr. Mastroianni has shown us what acting is all about. What a wonderful story... what a wonderful film!

Giuseppe Tornatore is best known for the excellent, Oscar-winning "Cinema Paradiso," but unlike that film, "Everybody's Fine" is rarely talked about. One of my all-time favorite actors, Marcello Mastroianni (8 1/2, La Dolce Vita, Big Deal on Madonna Street), plays Don Matteo, an aging Sicilian father of five who goes on a trip throughout Italy to try and visit all of his children. This is a trip of revelation for Matteo, who believes his children to be happy and wealthy. Gradually, the truth comes down.

Throughout the movie, Matteo is haunted by dreams of a beautiful Felliniesque day at a beach in which a caravan of horses are destroyed by an ominous descending black balloon that also steals his children. This isn't the only thing in the film that is inspired by Fellini, there are a LOT of things in here that echo the great Fellini's work (including a shot of a bus driving by our main character, it's passangers with their hands on the windows glaringly staring at him...GOOD STUFF).

It's a very warm, sentimental film, and I thought it was quite wonderful. Legendary composer Ennio Morricone's extraordinary score fits the film like a glove.

This is an artist's dream of film making: a beautiful and visual treat with stunning - Fellini like - images and imagination. It's comical as well, with Marcello Mastroianni enjoying his role and looking funny, wearing a big, floppy, flower-pot-hat with rim - and overcoat: and profiling a bushy- white moustache; and large, black rimmed glasses with bottle-top lenses. Marcello Mastroianni: delightful- uniquely, and acting in remarkable and emotional style ( - and worthy to compare to Charlie Chaplin and Jacques Tati. )

The film score by Ennio Morricone is electrifying , and inspired, and greatly enhancing the film's quality. ( Anyone could be forgiven by mistaking the cinematic score to be written by Nino Rota? ) Guiseppe Tornatore as film director -in one scene, there feels a striking reference to 'Cinema Paradiso' with child actor, Salvatore Cascio -in a misty, blue- hazed vision of the past - very touching? There are images to savour forever - perhaps Salvador Dali influenced?

'.....The basic plot is that Marcello Mastroianni, as a widower, travels to mainland Italy to re-unite his 'children' together on a surprise visit during summer vacation. The family collude, and they endeavour to conceal their lack of success - both in their own personal, and profession lives....'

I watched the film in a London cinema 29 years ago, and went back the following week to watch the film again with my wife to be; I still thoroughly enjoyed my viewing again....that the experience and genius of the art work of the moving image- ( that ) the film conveys....

Cinematography by Blasco Giurato. The film matures and ripens with age, as we age in sentimental nostalgia. The film captures romantic sentiment and sadness in a heart of nostalgia ......as the film ends- as the train of the journey arrives home to Sicily - there seems to be a carriage missing from the original train that started our journey.... In thought: a sense, a loss, one of sadness, and one of longing..... Stanno Tutti Bene!

Guiseppe Tornatore's first film after the wonderful Cinema Paradiso got little attention when it came out and is not even available on DVD yet. Perhaps the increasing darkness of tone{ replacing the lightness of early scenes}of the film put people off,but now that we can all see Cinema Paradiso in it's director's cut {rather than the hacked up,simplified version that originally came out in 1989},this should not really be a surprise.

Again we have a film that celebrates life but asks questions about what is best in life,and whether we all make the right decisions. The movie centres on an absolutely wonderful performance by a 70 -odd Marcello Mastroiani,in a role that allows him the full gamut of emotions,from great joy to terrible sadness.

As before mentioned,the film is deceptively lighthearted at first. As Mastroiani travels from Rome to visit his children,Tornatore gives us some amusing and colourful snapshots of Italian life {or rather,life in general}. The observation with a touch of caricature recalls Fellini {another reviewer has pointed out the many similarities to Fellini so I will not repeat them all}. Particularly great is the lunatic who makes a sculpture out of.....aerials,some kind of statement about the evils of technological progress no doubt. Even here,more serious bits creep in,such as a surreal but very symbolic dream scene shown in several bits and an incredibly touching little moment where Mastroiani is in the same hotel room he spent his honeymoon night in and recalls that time.

As the film gets more serious and deeper it becomes a very poignant study of a man who feels lost,out of touch with everything,not just his children,who simply want the best for him but are actually somewhat embarrassed by him,but the world itself. These two elements reach their synthesis in a really haunting scene where Mastroiani,alone and homeless,spends the night in a box and visions of his children,as actual children,come to him. All this is seemingly resolved with just a bit of hope and happiness,than Tornatore delivers a killer of a punchline at the end which really makes us re access our views of Mastroiani's character.

As with {the full version of} Cinema Paradiso, and later on The Starmaker and {perhaps to a lesser extent}Malena,Everybody's Fine is sentimental but in a tough way. There is a great deal of emotion,both for the character's and for us,but its tempered with both a sense of realism and a wider sense of life and what is best for us in life.

With an absolutely superb score by Ennio Morricone,ranging from the jaunty,Baroque-like overture and 'travelling' theme to the tragic waltz for the 'hero',Everybody's Fine is a great film. Of course it's not as good as Cinema Paradiso,but are there many films that are? {I'm biased though,as it's my favourite film!}.

I saw this film many years ago, and still think of it as one of the finest movies ever. The reason I came today to comment it is that while reviewing the comments about another film I saw yesterday, I find that that that one was among the 50 best films in IMDB. While that move was good, I could not see how this one is not even among the 250 best.

If you are a father of children who moved away, or if you are a child who moved away from your birthplace, you will appreciate this movie. It applies to Italian immigrants, or to African immigrants in Italy (there is a scene showing them sleeping in cardboard boxes that shows how human is that experience of being alone in a foreign place). you do not even have to leave your country, as this movie shows, to find yourself trying to make it alone, and trying to make your parents believe that you are OK. Of course, like in every good lie, some help from the person being lied is also needed.

If you can rent it, or if you hear of this movie being shown on your local station, please see it. It will be one of the best movies you will se in your life. It is a 10/10 for me.