Two Family House

Raymond DeFelitta, the director of the current release, "The Thing About my Folks", working with his own material, created this wonderful film, which should be seen more often. Unfortunately, when this film first came out, it had wonderful notices, but alas, it disappeared too soon for us to catch up with it. Thanks to HBO, the film was shown recently and it proved to be worthy of the praise we had heard about.

The story takes place in the fifties. The characters at the center of the film, are basically Italian-Americans living in Staten Island. Buddy and Estelle Visalo, are the owners of a two family house in need of repairs. The upstairs apartment has been rented to an Irish couple, Mary and Jim, who are going through a rough moment in their lives.

Buddy, with the help of his friends from the tavern that is the social meeting point of the neighborhood, is trying to evict the couple upstairs, after it's clear they are up to no good and can't pay the rent. It proves to be too late because Mary begins her labor pains and Estelle, who doesn't like the woman, helps in the delivery. But horror of horrors, the little baby proves to be much more than what Mary was expecting, and Jim abandons her.

The Italian landlord develops a friendship toward Mary, who he succeeds in evicting, but feels terribly about it. He rescues her from the flea bag hotel where she is staying since her own sister doesn't want her. Buddy finds, and pays, for an apartment for Mary and her son. It's clear that Buddy and Mary go from a friendship into a relationship that will change their lives forever.

The film works because the charismatic work of Michael Rispoli, who as Buddy, is a man with a heart of gold. Mr. Rispoli is an actor that is always good, no matter what character he plays. Also the movie has an inspired performance by Kelly MacDonald. Ms. MacDonald does good work as Mary. The supporting cast, Kartherine Narducci, Kevin Conway, Matt Servitto, Vincent Pastore, and the rest, are perfect.

We look forward future endeavors by Raymond DeFelitta, who proves with this film he can tell a story that involves the viewer in more ways than some others. "Two Family House" is a small movie, with a big heart!

TWO FAMILY HOUSE (2000) *** Michael Rispoli, Kelly Macdonald, Katherine Narducci, Kevin Conway, Matt Servitto, Michele Santopietro, Louis Guss, Rosemary DeAngelis, Anthony Arkin, Saul Stein, Vincent Pastore, John Pizzarelli. Rookie filmmaker Raymond De Felitta based this semi-autobiographical nostalgic romantic drama set in Staten Island circa 1956 on his beloved and well-intentioned late uncle with Rispoli as a working stiff who dreams of opening his own bar to sing in with no help from his totally unsupportive wife Narducci sending him into the unlikely arms of the unwed Irish mother of a biracial baby (the very pretty Macdonald) who is a tenant in their recently bought household.

Rispoli gives a heart-felt performance that echoes Jackie Gleason as a beaten upon husband who just wants something better and the rest of the ensemble adds some color to what could have been a retread of 'Moonstruck', its distant third cousin in theory.

Wonderful period piece and a gem of a sleeper.

It seemed strange to see the decidedly outer-borough "Two Family House" at an expensive Manhattan movie theater, until during the opening credits two old ladies sat in front of me, put their coats on the two seats between them, and proceeded to loudly comment on the proceedings to each other throughout the whole movie.

Much like the friends of the protagonists do in this very sweet yet honest depiction of post-WWII life on Staten Island when an off-islander disrupts the quotidian.

While it drags a bit here and there, and the voice-over narration sometimes re-states the already visually obvious, the very New York characters (including one played by "Pussy" of "The Sopranos") are real people in real situations and realistic traps. This is less schmaltzy than Barry Levinson's Baltimore nostalgia-fests.

Filmed in Staten Island, Jersey City and Bayonne, the settings are accompanied by lovely period music by the John Pizzarelli Trio (who also does a cameo appearance as Julius LaRosa).

This is one of those small, charming indie movies that seems to be a labor of love, like a jewel of a short story.

(originally written 10/14/2000)

The most wonderful thing about nostalgia, is the pathos. I didn't watch this film with the belief that "This was the way things were"--rather, I enjoyed the story of Everyman: The wide eyed dreamer with little chance of success. A man whose comfort zone included failure-he was happy with: "I could have been..."

I like misty-eyed forays into Post War America- my childhood was directly shaped by this era. I realize that people were only so different, but the "way of life" was drastically different- Maybe thats what makes nostalgia so attractive: The loss of youth.

At one time small stories on film were common-nowadays we only get to see them on the indy film award circuit. Unfortunately that in itself has come to imply "Great Film"...How about "good film". Would people then watch it to enjoy, instead of honor?

Late afternoon on a monday, flipping through my 8 chanels of HBO, I found this little number and feel all the richer for it. Good acting and genuine make a shoestring budget feel and slightly implausible plot fade into the recesses of your disbelief. A warm, poignant story about the kind of guy that we can all relate to.