Silvio Orlando Movies

Italian director Fausto Brizzi's romantic comedy Ex draws from an ensemble framework and an all-star European cast, including Claudio Bisio, Nancy Brilli, Cristiana Capotondi and Cecile Castel, to meditate on the various situations engendered by the presence of former lovers - from the instances in which affection and devotion have regressed into hatred, to the cases where friendship blossoms from a prior romance, to the instances where love lingers on indefinitely. From instance to instance and one onscreen relationship to another, the film meditates on the myriad of ways in which old romantic partners can shape our lives. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

With Quiet Chaos (Caos Calmo), acclaimed Italian helmer Nanni Moretti steps away from his standard directorial role to essay the lead and co-author the script in a gentle psychological drama directed by Antonello Grimaldi. Moretti stars as Pietro, a film executive whose life takes an irreversible and devastating turn one fateful morning. During a trip to the beach with his brother, Pietro's path intersects with that of a woman, Eleonora (Isabella Ferrari), who is drowning in the ocean; horrified, Pietro rushes in to save her. He subsequently returns home only to discover that his wife, Lara, just died in a nasty falling accident; devastated to the core, this nascent widower must make the necessary psychological accommodations to adjust to life as a single parent, with sole responsibility for raising his ten-year-old daughter, Claudia (Blu Yoshimi). Almost instinctively, as a reaction to Lara's death, Pietro opts to sit and wait for his daughter to finish school each day (in a park across from the school), in lieu of abandoning her to his own priorities and commitments. This means that the fellow's colleagues in the film industry must, by necessity, come to do business with him in the park. Through it all, Pietro remains silently dumbfounded that the tragedy itself hasn't shaken him more, that the grief (the "quiet chaos" of the title) is subtly agonizing instead of grossly traumatizing and debilitating. Nevertheless, he ultimately begins to approach a full realization and acceptance of his loss, and gains an enhanced awareness of himself and others from the potentially crippling events thrust into his path. Valeria Golino (Rain Man) co-stars; Roman Polanski appears in a cameo as one of Pietro's industry colleagues. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

Italian filmmaker directs Il Posto Dell'Anima (The Soul's Place), a drama about a group of dedicated union workers. Set in the small mountain town of Campolaro, the film follows Carair tire factory co-workers Salvatore (Michele Placido), Antonio (Silvio Orlando), and Mario (Claudio Santamaria). When the American-owned company threatens to shut down the factory, the union members organize a serious protest. While the boisterous men chain themselves to the factory doors and get arrested on television to show their solidarity, their long-suffering wives raise money by starting up a homemade pasta business. After several attempts of raising awareness and funds, the union sends a representative to the U.S. to talk to the president of Carair. The Soul's Place was shown in competition at the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

Enzo Monteleone's World War II drama El Alamein: The Line of Fire is concerned with the life of Italian soldiers. Lieutenant Fiore (Emilio Solfrizzi) leads a group of soldiers stationed in Egypt. The troops, including Sargent Rizzo (Pierfrancesco Favino) and newbie Serra (Paolo Briguglia), are constantly under attack from the British. Eventually the commands from the military hierarchy become indecipherable, and the madness and horror of war overtake the men. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

A family struggles to go on after a devastating loss in this deeply emotional drama from Italy. Giovanni (Nanni Moretti) is a psychiatrist with a successful practice in a small community near the ocean. Giovanni has a warm relationship with his wife Paola (Laura Morante), and they have a pair of well-adjusted teenage kids, Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) and Irene (Jasmine Trinca). But the family's calm is shattered when Andrea is unexpectedly killed in an accident. Giovanni finds it impossible to continue with his work, and blames himself for the death, since he was planning to go jogging with Andrea that morning before he opted instead to take an emergency call from a client. Paola and Irene try to keep their emotions in check, but both find this all but impossible as they sink further into anger and grief. The appearance of an unexpected visitor, however, forces the family to confront their feelings about Andrea. Arianna (Sofia Vigliar) is a girl who had a summer romance with Andrea the year before, and has come to town to pay him a surprise visit, unaware of his recent death. Nanni Moretti directed and co-wrote this film, while also starring as Giovanni; it was his first dramatic feature in over a decade after devoting himself to documentaries and short films. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Fuori Dal Mondo/Not of This World tells a story about people learning to deal with their responsibilities and follow their true path in life. Caterina (Margherita Buy) is a novice nun who is soon to take her vows. One day, while taking a walk in the park, she discovers a newborn baby which has been wrapped in a sweater. While Caterina immediately turns the child over to the proper authorities, she feels compelled to find out more about the baby and its parents. A tag on the sweater leads her to Ernesto (Silvio Orlando), a mean-spirited type who operates a dry cleaning shop. Ernesto eventually admits that he may be the child's father, and, as he and Caterina get to know each other, he begins to open up and realize the importance of accepting his responsibilities. Similarly, Caterina begins to realize her desire to have a child of her own, and her growing attraction to Ernesto, may mean a life in the church may not be right for her. Meanwhile, the child's mother has to deal with her guilt and confusion, her unhappy relationship with her family, and her need to build a new and healthier life for herself. Fuori Dal Mondo/Not of This World marks the fourth collaboration between actress Margherita Buy and director Giuseppe Piccioni. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This Italian road comedy gets a jump-start when unemployed Dominico (Silvio Orlando) robs a bank, taking businessman Tommaso (Diego Abatantuono) hostage. Since debt-plagued Tommaso has a dead-end marriage, he takes advantage of the situation, leaking news of his abduction in a diversion tactic that sends police hunting in Switzerland. He then steers Domenico to Puglia, past plains of cactus, volcanic vistas, red cliffs, and salt fields. In Taranto, Tommaso romances Orfeo (Flavio Insinna), but the arrival of his daughter Rita (Valentina Cervi) creates problems for the secret lovers. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

A computer virus endows Solo (Diego Abatantuono), the hero of a virtual reality game, with human consciousness, thereby creating all kinds of headaches for his creator Jimi (Christopher Lambert). The trouble begins in the futuristic metropolis of Northern Agglomerate three days before Christmas. With little time left, video-game designer Jimi has no choice but to give his newest game, "Nirvana," to his powerful bosses. Unfortunately, the virus strikes just before the deadline. At first Solo doesn't know he is a graphic image, but when he finds out, he fervently pleads with Jimi to destroy every existent copy of the game so that he will not have to live the same sequence of events over and over for eternity. Jimi, vulnerable after the mysterious and sudden disappearance of his lover Lisa (Emmanuelle Seigner), agrees to honor Solo's wishes, but is unable to simply erase the program because his every move, on and off the job, is monitored by a giant, Orwellian computer. He therefore takes off for the Arab quarter and enlists the aid of two hackers, Joystick (Sergio Rubini), an expert at sabotaging databases, and Naima (Stefania Rocca), a woman with the skills to destroy the prototype of the computer game. With the company's henchmen hot on their heels, the threesome set off on a colorful journey through real and virtual worlds to destroy Solo before it is too late. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A police captain plays a mental game of cat and mouse with a convicted terrorist as they cross Italy in an armored car. The story is set in 1983 and takes place over a 24-hour period. The prisoner Braccio, serving the fourth year of a 30-year sentence, is told that he is going to Milan where he can spend one month visiting with his lover Giulia. His guard is known only as the Captain. As they travel, the kindly captain encourages Braccio to speak of the past and the events that led to his conviction. Braccio doesn't know that the Captain is really after the names of his former cohorts. Along the way, the two have several key encounters that eventually lead Braccio, who will get a reduced sentence if he rats, to make a painful decision. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A 20-year-old Eastern European girl impetuously ditches the rest of her tour group to embark upon a new life in Italy. Though she writes friends and family glowing accounts of her fabulous and successful adventures in her adopted home, the truth is much more tragic. Intelligently and poignantly drawn, this drama offers a portrait of Vesna's life. Shortly after leaving the tour, Vesna finds herself broke and without a plan so she hangs out in a local coffee bar where she meets a businessman who takes her home. Needing cash, she asks him to pay her for the sexual services he desires. He agrees, but struck by moral confusion, Vesna refuses the money then changes her mind again. So begins her descent into prostitution. Later she ends up in Rimni, a glittering tourist resort where she numbly pursues her new profession in earnest. She does not like turning tricks, but her irresistible craving for money drives her. A former runner, she still finds herself on the fast track to nowhere until she meets the kindly Antonio, a construction worker and kindred spirit who becomes a client and one day saves her life after the still innocent girl inadvertently involves herself with organized criminals. She encounters more tragedy when her passport is stolen. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this offbeat love story, Saverio has been living alone for some time in the quite large apartment his parents left to him in their will. Being that Saverio is a dentist, when Alia, a girl who has moved to Italy from Russia, shows up on his threshold with a missing tooth and bearing numerous bruises from a beating, it's only second nature for him to spend the next few hours making a replacement tooth for her. For a while, the optimistic young woman stays in his spacious apartment, as he fall more and more deeply in love with her. One day she leaves quietly and disappears. Devastated, Saverio begins searching for her. His searches put him into contact with the head of a local gang led by Mauro, who is also in love with the girl and is also searching for her. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi