Emanuele Barresi Movies
- 2008
An amateur theatrical troupe struggles to earn a living by day and bring the crowds to their feet every night in director Emanuele Barresi's madcap ensemble farce featuring Rocco Papaleo, Alba Rohrwacher, Raffaele Pisu, and Paolo Ruffini. Every night, the dedicated actors at a small theater put aside their daily concerns in order to deliver the best show possible. When a series of unfortunate events bring the future of the theater into question, each actor must consider a future with no creative outlet as they contend with issues of life, love, health, and employment. As the curtains rise on the opening night of their latest production, all of their problems are systematically brought out into the open and miraculously solved during a spectacular series of plot twists and cliffhangers. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Rocco Papaleo, Alba Rohrwacher, (more)
- 2006
A young firebrand learns the hard way about the practical problems behind political assassination in this lavish period comedy. In 1814, with his reputation in tatters and his rule of France come to an inglorious end, Napoleon Bonaparte (Daniel Auteuil) flees to the Island of Elba, where his arrival causes no small stir among the citizens. However, not everyone is pleased with his presence; Martino (Elio Germano) is a young and idealistic schoolteacher who believes Napoleon turned his back on the ideals he fought for in the French Revolution, and doesn't hesitate to criticize the former Emperor in front of his students. When Martino isn't busy with his students, he attends to the romantic needs of the beautiful Baroness Emilia (Monica Bellucci), but she's powerless to help him when his controversial opinions about Elba's new arrival cause him to be fired. When Martino learns that Napoleon is in need of a personal secretary and librarian, he has a brainstorm -- if he can get the job, he'll be close enough to the former emperor to win his trust and then kill the despot when no one suspects. Martino is awarded the prestigious position, but once he gets to know Napoleon, the great man's charm and wit make it difficult for Martino to put his deadly plans into motion. N (Napoleon and Me) (aka N (Io E Napoleone) received its North American premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Auteuil, Elio Germano, (more)
- 1999
Dominated by a cast of newcomers, this comedy of errors from director Paolo Virzi aims for both laughter and poignance. Three factory workers who lose their jobs when their employer closes shop decide to join forces and open an ostrich ranch, in hopes that ostrich meat will find favor on Italian dinner tables. Elsewhere, Mario, a restaurateur, is suicidally depressed over the collapse of both his business and his marriage. Renato, leader of the ostrich ranchers, discovers his sister is romantically involved with a government councilor, also named Mario, who could approve state financing that would keep their business afloat. Renato dumps every penny he has into an elaborate party in hopes of impressing the councilor, but when he goes to the train station, he picks up the restaurant owner instead, who is so dazed by pills and exhaust fumes that he's not sure where he is. Italian television comic Massimo Gambacciani makes his film debut here, one of only two experienced actors in the cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francesco Paolantoni, Massimo Gambacciani, (more)
- 1998
Carlo Mazzacurati directed this Italian coming-of-age drama about 19-year-old Davide (Stefano Campi). After passing his pre-university exams, Davide leaves Turin for a summer with his aunt and uncle in the Po Valley, where neighbor Patrizia (Patrizia Piccinini) takes an interest, driving him to the hospital after he hurts his shoulder. In the hospital he's befriended by Bosnian bartender Alem (Semsudin Mujic). When his hospital stays ends, Davide and Patrizia become a twosome. However, Davide begins to grasp that his new friends don't quite match his first impressions of them. Shown at the 1998 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stefano Campi, Patrizia Piccinini, (more)
- 1994
This Italian romantic comedy examines the life of the working class in modern Tuscany. Bruno is going to be among those laid off from the local steel mill. His consternation is compounded by his wife Mirella's discontent. Though they've only been married three years, she is already involved in an affair with a local television host, Gerry Fumo. When Bruno, the last to know, finally learns of the affair, he asks her to leave. She moves in with Fumo, but inside, misses Bruno. After Bruno and friends try unsuccessfully to open their own steel mill, Bruno has a serious coronary. Mirella temporarily returns, then leaves after the couple decides that they would be happier apart. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudio Bigagli, Sabrina Ferilli, (more)
- 1993
- R
Marco (Claudio Bigagli) is an insurance adjuster who must travel all over Tuscany in order to investigate and settle claims put through by his firm's various branches. This brings in a tidy sum of money, and he has every reason to expect that he will continue to prosper in his work. He manages quite successfully to organize every event in his own life, but he can't manage the lives of others. His tidy and reasonably satisfying world comes unglued when his mother's extramarital affair causes dissension between her and his father. The tidiness of his life is also undone when his former girlfriend actually gets married, and his current girlfriend dumps him. Soon he is irritated even by his work, and then the real hysteria sets in. The only thing he can think to do is to opt out of having such a tidy, predictable, yuppiefied life, and this is what he does. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudio Bigagli, Gigio Alberti, (more)
