Mambo Italiano

I watched this film at the cinema last year, and I found it very funny. As an Italian-born male, sentences like " Italians move out either when they marry or when they die" made me really laugh, because this is partly true! Nevertheless, I think there's something which needs making clear. The characters and situations portrayed in the film are credible and hilarious insofar as they're set in the Italian communities of Canada, USA or Australia. I worked for 4 years in the export department of a company making Italian espresso coffee, thus getting in touch with lots of Italians who had settled in faraway countries many years ago. What I noticed is that most of them retain a picture of Italy and a system of values which were real in the country they left behind years ago, but look old-fashioned and rather over-the-top in today's Italy. I think it's undeniable that ethnic communities abroad are more conservative and traditional than the countries they came from, as they cling to values that, though being "frozen" for them, have evolved in the meantime. So some characters and situations of the film appear exaggerated if compared with Italians of 2005, but are really amusing if set in the context of the life of Italian immigrants, who represent what we used to be a few decades ago. A light comedy, to be enjoyed without taking ourselves too seriously.

In this case truth is "funnier" than fiction. The premise of "Mambo Italiano" - that is, Italian families having to face the vagaries of reality - is certainly a truth, but being Italian-American and viewing this film with my own experiences at hand I can honestly say that this is no fiction. No fiction could be funnier than this. Even if this family's circumstances focus on dealing with the knowledge that their only son is gay, the premise is universal among Italians - life is filled with "catastrophes" but somehow we all survive and hopefully end up better for the process. Call it passion, call it pessimism, call it anything, just call it (this movie) funny. It is a comedy based on tragedy (from the family's point of view), a reverse kind of "Pagliacci", not dark and brooding but colorful (literally filled with color) and humorous - designed for a modern audience. Well cast, well acted, and worth seeing, "Mambo Italiano" can make you laugh and cry (but mostly laugh) at the same time. This is living, Italian style (replete with North American Italian "villas" and statuary). Some say it is a kind of spin-off of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" and the protagonist Angelo even implies this at the very end of the film - confirming my impression that this is an honest, open and very enjoyable film.

This very clever and fun little film has had more off-base reviews written about it than any film in history. Way too many reviewers react with horror at - gasp - stereotypical representations of Italians. They neglect the fact that in actual fact the Italian-ness is 100% of the charm and beauty of the film, and that not one of the Italians are not people we have all seen in real life. They also neglect the fact that Italian culture and tradition has seldom looked so good or as real as it does in "Mambo Italiano." The Italian sister is heroic in her actions, and the Italian parents who come around in he end are just like parents of ANY nationality. I really fail to see what all the squawking about "negative stereotypes" is all about.

As a Southerner and as a gay man I know something about stereotyping. All groups get stereotyped. This is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it is the ONLY representation of a group that society ever sees. We all need to see the true diversity of any group. I think we have all seen plenty of other Italians and gay persons now, so we don't have to worry that a viewer will see this movie and assume that all Italians and gay men are like the folks in "Mambo Italiano." But frankly, if they did, I think they would have rather positive images of Italians. Unfortunately they would leave the theater thinking that half of all gay men get married to women in order to hide the fact that they are gay. Luckily I suspect most folks know this is not the case, though it certainly does happen, since society still makes it impossible for some of us to stay in certain professions and be gay at the same time (cops, firemen, coaches, soldiers in the U.S., pro athletes...).

"Mambo Italiano" is hilarious and light-hearted. It is a big mistake to try to read too much into it. Just sit back, relax, and laugh. It is one heck of a clever, funny little film, with a surprise ending. Betcha can't guess how it ends!

I decided to see this film because I had nothing else to do. I wasn't expecting much more than gay stereotypes and ridiculous humor. However I discovered just the opposite.

I have heard comparisons to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", but the only similarity I see is in the stereotypical presentation of nationalities. However, these stereotypes aren't offensive, but more so delightful and some what sweet.

Angelo (Luke Kirby) is presented with just enough humor, but more so just enough heart that it makes the character beleiveable. For once gays are not presented as obnoxious drag queens or someone dying from AIDS. In fact, the two latter factions are not even present in the film. Instead it focuses on one mans humorous journey of self discovery in both relations to his family, partner, and his own sexuality.

At the end of the film, you leave feeling very happy. Sure everything turned out for the best in the end, but sometimes we need films like this to remind just how fun and quirky life can be at times.

Angelo wants to come out to his family, but they already drive him nuts with their old-world Italian values; can you imagine how they'd react? Angelo's boyfriend Nino, with whom he lives, is happy in their private little closet; he's not only Italian, he's a cop! Can their relationship survive? Can Angelo's sis keep their secret? Should she?

This gem of a film has been aptly compared to "My Big Fat Greek Wedding;" they share many themes and elements. MAMBO ITALIANO is every bit as good (if a bit more off-the-wall), a smidge more clever and two smidges funnier. There's absolutely no reason, from a quality standpoint, that it shouldn't have been just as much the sleeper hit "Wedding" was. It wasn't, of course, and we all know the reason why.

Needless to say, that's a shame, especially when audiences miss out on performances by actors like Paul Sorvino, who manages to raise the always-superb level of his work even a notch higher here, and is priceless in his scenes with Ginette Reno, who appears as his wife.

I really believe the day is not far off when another little picture like MAMBO will come along and break out just as "Wedding" did, overcoming in the process the cultural obstacle that kept predecessors from receiving their due.

In the meantime, it's very much worth our while to seek out all the MAMBO's we can at the indie houses and on video, and spread the word when we find them.