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Avanti! (1972)

Avanti! (1972)
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This enchanting yet dark romantic comedy stars Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills as a pair of mismatched lovers helplessly drawn into a series of seemingly hopeless but humorous situations as in Lemmon's The Out-of -Towners two years earlier. Lemmon is Wendell Armbruster Jr., an overbearing American business tycoon forced to travel to the beautiful Italian island of Ischia to claim the body of his recently departed father. What begins with a rather elementary premise evolves into a succession of somber twists and turns, as Armbruster meets Pamela Piggott (Mills), the daughter of his father's mistress, who, Lemmon is appalled to learn, died alongside Armbruster Sr., while zipping through the Italian countryside in his sportscar. Even worse, the family who owns the vineyard that his father's car crashed into has stolen the bodies in exchange for damages. Although plagued with a plethora of such problems, as well as an inability to enjoy life (and the ulcers to prove it), Wendell eventually falls in love with Pamela, almost exactly as his father did with her mother. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

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Starring:
Jack LemmonJuliet Mills, (more)
Director(s):
Billy Wilder
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of Avanti!

This enchanting yet dark romantic comedy stars Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills as a pair of mismatched lovers helplessly drawn into a series of seemingly hopeless but humorous situations as in Lemmon's The Out-of -Towners two years earlier. Lemmon is Wendell Armbruster Jr., an overbearing American business tycoon forced to travel to the beautiful Italian island of Ischia to claim the body of his recently departed father. What begins with a rather elementary premise evolves into a succession of somber twists and turns, as Armbruster meets Pamela Piggott (Mills), the daughter of his father's mistress, who, Lemmon is appalled to learn, died alongside Armbruster Sr., while zipping through the Italian countryside in his sportscar. Even worse, the family who owns the vineyard that his father's car crashed into has stolen the bodies in exchange for damages. Although plagued with a plethora of such problems, as well as an inability to enjoy life (and the ulcers to prove it), Wendell eventually falls in love with Pamela, almost exactly as his father did with her mother. ~ Don Kaye, Rovi

Theatrical Feature Running Time:
144 mins

Complete Cast of Avanti!


Director(s):
Billy Wilder
Writer(s):
Billy WilderI.A.L. Diamond
Producer(s):
Billy Wilder
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Adult Language, Questionable for Children, Adult Situations, Nudity)
Categories:
Comedy
Avanti! Awards:
  • 1972 - Hollywood Foreign Press Association - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Member Reviews
     
    Geoffrey G.

    When the great Billy Wilder misfires, he's worse than a run-of-the-mill director. This twilight effort is arthritically slow and endlessly talky, with iffy direction from an icky script. Stars Lemmon and Mills are more lifeless than the 2 dead bodies at the center of the story. Sad to say, this is Wilder at his Worst!

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    Jeanne N.

    Some plays should never be made into movies. This one could have worked and been really funny if everyone -- and I mean everyone -- on this movie hadn't phoned it in. It is excruciating to watch the great Jack Lemmon bomb so completely. His acting is at an all time low, playing one of the most unpleasant and uninteresting characters in film history. It's one thing to make a dark comedy, but this one has all the lights out. There is no energy, chemistry, laughs or anything in this movie. The only purpose it can serve is to show students of the subject how not to make a film, because it gets everything wrong - the worst is that it is as boring as a movie can get. The only bright spot in this abysmal production is Juliet Mills, but even her bright personality and charm cannot save this disaster.

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    LEANNE D.

    Good actors, beautiful locations, nifty Italian cars from the 60' and 70's, pretty music, intriguing plot. Sadly, the movie as a whole wasn't very interesting, and the exaltation of adultery fell flat.

    Yes   |   No

     
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