Antonio Iuorio Movies
- 2008
Sex and mistaken identity make for strange bedfellows in this comedy from writer and director Carl Haber. Jim Johnson (Jeffrey Joseph) is an American musician who has traveled to the Czech Republic for a gig. Jim is met at the airport by a beautiful woman named Veronika (Kiara Issova), though since they don't speak a common language it takes a while for Jim to figure out why this woman is so eager to spend time with him. As it happens, Veronika is taking the place of her friend Lucy (Klara Apolenarova), a hooker who had agreed to meet a randy American tourist; while Veronika has no experience as a prostitute, she needs to raise money to bail her boyfriend Vaclav (Hynek Cermak) out of jail. As it happens, Jim seems happy but puzzled to encounter Veronika because he's not the man she was supposed to meet; another American named Jim Johnson (Nick Mancuso) arrives the same day looking for sex, and ends up hooking up with jazz fan Sonya (Daniela Choderova), who believes she's met the musician from the States. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Klara Issova, Hynek Cermak, (more)
- 1998
In this anthology film with five episodes about modern-day Naples, director Antonio Capuano updates Vittorio De Sica's The Gold of Naples (1954): In Seven Part Scopa a young card-player gambles against local butchers; in Charlie and Jerry two sax players minus instruments entertain at a wedding by reviving old routines of Eduardo De Filippo and Toto); The Wedding tells the story of impoverished newlyweds; Fred follows Argentine tourists in Pompei; and in Richard Gere an aspiring actor has a vision of his hero. Shown at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gigio Morra, Antonio Iuorio, (more)
- 1996
Fast-paced, funny and bursting with erotic joie-de-vivre, this outing from the always irreverent Catalan filmmaker Bigas Luna follows the lusty adventures of the bouncy Bambola and her peroxide-blond, gay brother Flavio. Their fun begins shortly after the death of their Mamma Greta, the owner of a ramshackle trattoria located beside the Po River on Italy's northern plains. Following the funeral, the two siblings decide to fix up the cafe, but first they need money. Their quest leads them to fatso financier Ugo. Barely able to control his lust for the buxom Bambola, he helps them, but when she starts batting eyes at the handsome swimmer Setimio (whom Flavio also desires), a tragedy ensues that results in Ugo's death and Setimio's incarceration. Brother and sister visit him in prison and one day, she attracts the attention of the beastly inmate Furio. Jealous of her relationship with Setimio, Furio orders him gang raped. The event is life changing for Setimio who suddenly looks at Flavio with new, wanting eyes. At the same time, Bambola goes to Furio's cell to engage in a fast, furious coupling that leaves her crazy for more. Upon his release, Furio heads for the trattoria to continue the affair. But trouble comes when Furio refuses to move the relationship beyond their beastly wrangling. He goes too far one night when he comes to bed with a live eel for Bambola to play with. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
An alienated lonely fat man goes off the deep end in this Italian tragedy set in Naples. The man is Crecenzio, a portly meter reader who is first seen blowing up a building. The reasons for this drastic, desperate act provide the basis for the story, which is told in flashback. Up to the explosion, Crecenzio's life had been notable only for it's grimness. His brother Beniamino is as lively and charismatic as Crecenzio is depressive and withdrawn. Beniamino works in an electrical repair shop run by a corrupt, brutish businessman. He works with Giuliana, another alienated soul. Crecenzio has feelings for Giuliana, but she seems to return them out of pity and perhaps empathy rather than real affection. She also sets clear limits as to how much affection the lonely meter man can express to her. Anyway, Crecenzio is the least of Giuliana's worries as much of her time is spent fending off the advances of her boss. The employer becomes so insistent that Giuliana goes to Beniamino for help. This makes Crecenzio jealous and the brothers begin feuding, but the real trouble doesn't begin until Giuliana is finally raped by her boss. When the meter man learns of the violence, something inside of him finally snaps and soon he is caught up in a destructive maelstrom that has a greater effect than Crecenzio ever imagined. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Poor Ivo is anything but a genius, an idiot savant with a phenomenal ability with numbers and abstract figures, yes, but definitely not a genius. An orphan since childhood, he has spent most of his life in an institution. By the time he is finally released, Ivo is a grown man. He returns to his home village and finds it empty. Still he decides to stay. Bored, he begins painting complex black and white puzzles all over the town. Circumstance eventually leads him to fall in love and end up living in a sort of communal half-way house. This gentle Italian comedy chronicles his exploits there. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Director Federico Fellini gently lampoons the world of small-time show business in Ginger and Fred. Giulietta Masina and Marcello Mastroianni star as Amelia Bonetti and Pippo Botticella, a onetime celebrity song-and-dance team. Having risen to fame with a dancing act where they recreated the acts of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire (hoping to become the Fred and Ginger of Italy), Amelia and Pippo parted company to pursue their separate lives. Neither one was particularly successful in other fields of endeavor, so when after many years Amelia is offered a guest-star gig on a TV variety show, she jumps at the chance. She also seeks out her former partner, Pippo, who may have looked like Astaire in his younger days, but now....The overall good cheer of the film was dampened when the real Ginger Rogers sued the distributors of Ginger and Fred for "defamation of character." ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Giulietta Masina, (more)
