A rather uninspiring selection of new films have hit the Italian box office this week…
Amore, bugie e calcetto is a comedy about seven blokes who escape from their tedious lives by engaging in their regular football game. Of course, during the course of the running time they all learn more about themselves and life in general. Yawn. The director is Luca Lucini, whose made several comedies. Don’t expect this to hit your multiplex any time soon (or your DVD store, for that matter).
Non pensarci (aka Don’t Think About It) was shown at Venice last year and picked up a couple of awards, so it has more likelihood of international distribution. To quote from the review in Variety:
“A genuinely funny, original Italian comedy with legs strong enough to stride into offshore territories? Helmer Gianni Zanasi proves it can be done with his quirky, believable “Don’t Think About It.” Tale of a 30ish rocker returning to his parents’ home to assess his future sails by with strong laughs thanks to a solid script and exceptional perfs from a cast that could give lessons on ensemble acting. Pic deservedly took home several smaller awards from Venice and may find that even Stateside arthouses will be happy to consider programming it.”
It stars Dino Abbrescia and Giuseppe Battiston (who’s also in Amore, bugie e calcetto) and was directed by Gianni Zanasi, who’s made a handful of well-respected films over the last decade or so.
Finally, Jimmy della collina (Jimmy of the Hill), which has been seen by about a hundred people since its release, so could hardly be accuded of setting the box office alight. This was another one previewed at Venice, and – using it’s customary irritating language – is again reviewed in Variety. However, the IMDB review by Johnno-21 is more interesting:
In this drama from Italy Jimmy (Nicola Adamo) lives in a Sardinian refinery town where the refinery is your life after high school unless you leave town. Jimmy is almost 18 and hates his existence and decides to embark on a life of crime as a bank robber against the advice of a local barfly who claims that he was once a career bank robber. Jimmy assembles a couple of other discontented teenage friends but their plan goes wrong and Jimmy is sentenced to three years in a juvenile hall detention center instead of prison but the fortune of being just shy of his 18th birthday. There is cell mate is the obnoxious but friendly Simone (Federico Carta) and among the inmates Salvo (Giovanni Catarella) becomes Jimmy’s Nemesis. A chance to go to a halfway house for low risk offenders is arranged through chaplain Don Ehore (Francesco Origo) and Jimmy is assigned to work under the watch of Claudia (Valentia Carnelutti) a female work release correctional officer. Enrico Pau directs the Antonia Laccarino screenplay adapted from the Massimo Carlotto novel. I found what may be an interesting premise to a story as dull and boring and by the end of the film I didn’t care about Jimmy and just wanted the film to end. I did find the Simone character interesting and he was wonderfully portrayed by Carta but that was the only bright spot in this dreary little low budget drama. I would give this a 4.5 out of 10.
Sound almost like a 1960s Italo-new wave film! Might be interesting if it ever makes it out on DVD anywhere… Finally, I must mention that this film has nothing whatsoever to do with large chinned UK TV presenter Jimmy Hill.