Giuseppe Amato Movies

In one of the most widely seen and acclaimed European movies of the 1960s, Federico Fellini featured Marcello Mastrioanni as gossip columnist Marcello Rubini. Having left his dreary provincial existence behind, Marcello wanders through an ultra-modern, ultra-sophisticated, ultra-decadent Rome. He yearns to write seriously, but his inconsequential newspaper pieces bring in more money, and he's too lazy to argue with this setup. He attaches himself to a bored socialite (Anouk Aimée), whose search for thrills brings them in contact with a bisexual prostitute. The next day, Marcello juggles a personal tragedy (the attempted suicide of his mistress (Yvonne Furneaux)) with the demands of his profession (an interview with none-too-deep film star Anita Ekberg). Throughout his adventures, Marcello's dreams, fantasies, and nightmares are mirrored by the hedonism around him. With a shrug, he concludes that, while his lifestyle is shallow and ultimately pointless, there's nothing he can do to change it and so he might as well enjoy it. Fellini's hallucinatory, circus-like depictions of modern life first earned the adjective "Felliniesque" in this celebrated movie, which also traded on the idea of Rome as a hotbed of sex and decadence. A huge worldwide success, La Dolce Vita won several awards, including a New York Film Critics CIrcle award for Best Foreign Film and the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This clever melodrama from director Renato Castellani stars Anna Magnani as a hardbitten prostitute whose immorality rubs off on a naive woman (Giulietta Masina) in a women's prison. Taking the innocent Masina under her wing, Magnani corrupts her, but is secretly touched by her kind heart. On Magnani's advice, Masina makes a bargain with Adonis (Alberto Sordi), who framed her for burglary, promising silence in exchange for part of the loot. She is acquitted, but Magnani's lessons have changed Masina's life for the worse, and she returns to prison as a garishly sleazy hooker. Magnani is horrified, having gone through some psychological changes in the opposite direction herself. Renato Salvatori, Cristina Gajoni, and Milly Monti also appear in this entertaining Italian/French potboiler adapted by Castellani and Suso Cecchi D'Amico from Isa Mari's 1953 novel Roma, Via delle Mantellate. Several versions exist, running 110, 98, and 85 minutes. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Gli Ultimi Cinque Minuti (The Last Five Minutes) was adapted from the popular Italian stage play by Aldo De Benedetti. Hollywood's Linda Darnell heads the cast as Renata, who sublets an apartment in Rome. Unfortunately, Carlo Reani (Vittorio de Sica) also has a legal claim on the apartment. The two tenants solve the dilemma by getting married, with the understanding that Renata can continue pursuing any man she wants. For a while Renata dallies with Dino Moriani (Rosanno Brazzi), but her wifely insticts eventually get the better of her. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Frequently mentioned on lists of masterpieces of modern cinema, Vittorio De Sica's Umberto D. transforms a simple character study into a painfully poignant drama. Umberto is an aging former civil servant, now retired on his scant government pension. He spends his time in his tiny room in Rome, with only his longtime pet dog for companionship. His lonely life only grows worse when his limited income forces him to fall behind on his rent, leading his landlady to threaten him with eviction. He makes a desperate attempt to raise the needed money and protest the unfair treatment of senior citizens to the government, but he receives little response. His one chance at human contact, through brief conversations with a pregnant servant, proves sadly disappointing. Indeed, Umberto slowly becomes convinced that the situation may be hopeless, and he ultimately considers committing suicide. Considered one of the high points of Italian neo-realist cinema, Umberto D. provides the ultimate example of the movement's unadorned, observational style, which emphasizes the reality of events without calling attention to their emotional or dramatic impact. The unschooled, natural performances also contribute to the film's feeling of verisimilitude, particularly the lead performance by non-actor Carlo Battisti. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide

Flowers of St. Francis (Francesco, giullare di Dio) is an early example of the "commercial" side of Roberto Rossellini. The film traces the life of St. Francis, from his embracing of religion to his efforts to establish a harmonious middle ground between life and spirituality. Rosselini has given us a "chamber" film, deliberately avoiding the overblown vulgarity of Hollywood religious spectacles. The director's assistant and cowriter on this project was Federico Fellini. Unfortunately, Roberto Rossellini was under a cloud in the US thanks to L'affaire Bergman, so Flowers of St. Francis (made right after Stromboli) was not given an immediate American release in 1950. When it finally did get to our shores, at least two reels were cut; we recommend the somewhat more thorough British release version. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

lga Villi essays the title role in the Italian Yvonne la Nuit. The film certainly spares its heroine nothing: her lover killed in WW I, her child kidnapped by her lover's aristocratic father, Yvonne pours out her heart in song at every opportunity. Only in her dotage is Yvonne permitted a measure of happiness with a buffoonish companion who has loved her from afar. The last-named role is played by Italian farceur Toto, who is funniest when he tries to play straight (perhaps this was the intention!) Cast as Yvonne la Nuit's uniformed lover is American actor Frank Lattimore, who would spend the next two decades in European adventure films. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Better known as one of Italy's most visionary producers, Giuseppe Amato was also a director of considerable skill. Filmed in 1945, Amato's Malia was released in the U.S. in 1952, on the coattails of his internationally successful Umberto D. Though Rosanno Brazzi is top-billed in the American version, the film's real star is Gino Cervi, cast as a Sicilian priest. Fighting strenuously against the ancient superstitions which hold his parishioners in thrall, the priest finds himself at odds with a local soothsaying quack (Virginia Balistreri). The ultimate test of religion vs. mysticism takes place when the priest tries to help a young girl suffering from malaria. Hemstitched into the proceedings is a gratuitous romantic triangle involving new a bride (Maria Denis), her philandering husband (Rosanno Brazzi), and her impressionable sister (Anna Proclamer). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Originally released in 1942, Four Steps in the Clouds (Quattro Passi fra le Nuvole) was a major stepping stone in the starring career of Gino Cervi. The story begins as young unwed mother-to-be Maria (Adriana Benetti) desperately casts about for a means of avoiding disgrace. Making the acquaintance of good-natured Paolo Bianchi (Cervi), Maria persuades him to pose as her husband and meet her family. Immediately ingratiating himself with Maria's parents, Paolo plays his part so well that only a completely unforeseen disaster could spoil the charade. And when that disaster inevitably arrives, it is Paolo who comes to the rescue -- simply by telling the truth for the first time in the picture! Four Steps in the Clouds was superbly remade by Alfonso Arau in 1995 as A Walk in the Clouds, with Keanu Reeves in the Gino Cervi role. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide