Diego Abatantuono Movies

In this light comedy based on a play by Aldo de Benedetti from the 1950s, Princess Lucia (Monica Vitti) is miffed that her husband, Prince Giulio (Philippe Leroy is single-mindedly focused on his race horses to the point that he is ignoring her. She decides to find out if he really does love her by convincing her bodyguard to pose as her lover - if her husband gets jealous, then he must care a little anyway. This seems like a fine plan until her bodyguard's girlfriend shows up unexpectedly, creating a few tight situations. Prince Giulio finally sees green through his equine-induced haze, and now all the Princess has to do is straighten out any misunderstandings. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

Four popular Italian comedians (Adriano Celentano, Carlo Verdone, Enrico Montesano, and Diego Abantantuono), at the time this film was shot, play characters who either work in or visit a large hotel. Each comedian reprises some of the roles or attitudes that made him famous in a series of connected vignettes. Unfortunately, the supposedly comic treatment of women and one black bellhop carry enough outmoded gender and racial stereotypes to offend more than a few viewers. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this uneven drama, Walter Ferrari (Ugo Tognazzi) is an Italian soccer coach fired on the eve of the playoffs by club President Di Carlo (Lino Capolicchio). He overcomes his feelings of bitterness in order to help his former club win the big game, but his relationship with the team and his family becomes strained after his dismissal. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Ferroccio Ferri (Paolo Rossi) is a quiz-show champion who is an expert on camels in this offbeat comedy. He is eligible for the upcoming show that will award a sizeable sum of money to the grand-prize winner. Camillo (Diego Abatantuono) is the manager of a second-rate traveling troupe who recruits Ferri to ride a camel for a promotional tour of the Po Valley. Sabina Guzzanti plays a notoriously bad singer in Camillo's troupe with comedic flair. Ferri loses on the quiz show and meets the beautiful Anna (Giulio Boschi) on the train ride back home. Anna talks Ferri into posing as her lover so she can dump her fiancee in front of her mother (Laura Betti) and father (Giancarno Sbragia). ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi

Dario (Diego Abatantuono) is a lively, loyal friend, and a good trouper who can recover cheerfully from even the worst onstage disasters. He needs to be, because he is constantly onstage with his best friend Federico (Fabrizio Bentivoglio), who is a barely adequate actor. In everyday life, Federico somewhat timid and unassertive. It's too bad that Dario is having an affair with Federico's wife, but in every other regard, Dario works hard to look after his friend while they are on tour together, playing shows in one small town after another. When Federico discovers the ruse, at first he is hurt, but in the end, both men have become disgusted with Federico's wife's inability to choose between them. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This biographical drama is an attempt to tell the story of the life of St. Joseph (Diego Abatantuono), the father-figure of the young Jesus' life, the long-suffering husband of the much younger Mary (Penelope Cruz). In this story, Joseph, a mature man, has courted any number of other women, but has not married any. Mary shows up back at his home village several months pregnant after he courted her some months before. Although he knows better, everyone in the village assumes he must have gotten her in that condition, and he marries her. This helps clear the air and his reputation. The poor carpenter is rather puzzled at Mary's insistence that he remain celibate, and eventually goes mad. No magical events appear onscreen, and the only mystery is how Mary managed to give birth to Jesus' younger brothers without the help of her husband. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This feel-good movie, which offers American audiences spectacular views of Central European landscapes, uses gentle humor to tell the story of two common men who place themselves in an uncommon situation. Franco, a recently laid-off co-op stud farmer whose company jilted him out of his settlement money, returns to break into the main offices to look for proof that he was wronged. Instead he ends up stealing their prize bull Corinto with the thought of selling Corinto for a great profit in Hungary. Franco enlists the aid of his quiet friend Loris. Together the three set off on their obstacle-filled journey. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Four hard-working, under-appreciated waiters must deal with the rude, demanding middle-class at a wedding anniversary in this Italian comedy. The story is set at Eden, a run-down restaurant that has just been bought by Azzaro. The restaurant staff do not know whether or not they will still have jobs. The new owner brings his family, friends, and some cheesy musicians to celebrate his parent's 50th wedding anniversary. These nouveau riche, who outwardly seem so refined, quickly reveal their true nature once the party gets started. The new boss is a boor, and his father an adulterer, whose wife is severely depressed and becomes increasingly morose. The four waiters have their own problems. ~ Sandra Brennan, 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

In a northern Italian province, townspeople prepare for the wedding of wealthy, balding businessman Edgardo (Dario Cantarelli) and beautiful Francesca (Ines Sastre), pressured into marriage by her family. Angelo (Diego Abantantuono), who went to America when he was young, returns with a fortune. When Francesca sees him, she realizes she can't marry Edgardo. She flees the altar, is talked into returning, secretly says her vows as though marrying the stranger, and then later reveals this secret to him, saying, "You came to save me." Angelo tells her the facts behind his wealth; he was a failure in America, inheriting his fortune from his dying brother. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival, this film was a Golden Globe nominee and Italy's submission to the 1998 Academy Awards. ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi