Ferrucio de Ceresa Movies

Onetime campus radical Nanni Moretti (who also directed this film) renounces his past to become a priest. Returning to his home village, Moretti is appalled at the lack of religious reverence amongst the townsfolk. Unable to communicate with any of his old friends, who've all gleefully succumbed to the Deadly Sins, Moretti cannot even count on solace from his own family, a screwed-up aggregation which gives the word "dysfunctional" several new meanings. The priest finally gives up on the village and transfers to a parish far, far away. Despite the somber tone of the past few sentences, the Italian-filmed Mass Is Ended (Messa E' Finita) is actually a comedy, its humor stemming from the nonplussed reactions of Moretti and the believable performances of the supporting cast. The film won a special jury prize at the Berlin Film Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

This political Italian drama is set after the death of that country's communist leader, Palmiero Togliatti. It is a time when the glory days of communism have passed and the party is trying to settle into the serious business of running a country. The film takes an episodic approach to chronicle the widely varying effects the leader's death had upon the people. In one of the vignettes a wife embarks upon a lesbian affair with one of her husband's former lovers. In another story, a Venezuelan radical abandons the wealthy Italian woman he has been sleeping with so he can go back home and help his cause. More stories follow. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi