Ninni Bruschetta Movies
Growing up in small-town Italy during the '60s and '70s, brothers Accio (Elio Germano) and Manrico (Riccardo Scamarcio) embody and celebrate opposing political stances, but share an impassioned love of the same woman that threatens to drive them to blows. Director Daniele Luchetti's political comedy Mio Fratello È Figlio Unico (aka My Brother Is an Only Child, 2007) observes the brothers over the course of 15 years, against the ever-shifting backdrop of tumultuous Italian sociopolitical history. During that time span, the siblings' loyalties will fluctuate; they will endure arguments and quarrels, and find themselves separated by the ravages of time and circumstance and reunited magnetically by the wisdom of age. In time, they will come to a firmer and clearer understanding of not only the differences but the similarities that they harbor. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elio Germano, Riccardo Scamarcio, (more)
- 2007
Director Stefano Incerti draws inspiration from the true life tale of Sicilian mob whistleblower Leonardo Vitale for this tale of a man consumed by guild and determined to reveal the inner workings of the world's most powerful organized crime network. Soon after Vitale (David Coco) is muscled into lending a group of thugs his car, he is arrested on suspicion of taking part in a kidnapping plot. Though he attempts to tell the authorities what really happened, it quickly becomes obvious what a mistake he's made when he receives a dire warning from the inside to stop talking. While Vitale's well connected Uncle Titta (Tony Sperandeo) does his best to protect his frightened nephew, Vitale remains convinced that the only way to clear his name is to come clean to the authorities about his shady past. While the public at large thinks Vitale's bizarre claims are nothing more than the ravings of a madman, the mob knows the truth and views his reckless chatter as a direct threat. In a desperate bid to make it appear that Vitale is indeed insane, Uncle Titta and Vitale's mother Rosalia (Anna Bonaiuto) have him locked away in a mental institution. At first it seems as if their plan was a success, but when Vitale later emerges and runs directly to magistrate Angelo Saitta (Tony Palazzo) it quickly becomes apparent that all will not end well for the man struggling to clear his clouded conscience. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- David Coco, Anna Bonaiuto, (more)
- 2001
Two men learn firsthand about the cruel twists of fame and fortune in a drama from Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino. In the early '80s, Tony Pisapia (Toni Servillo) and his younger brother, Antonio (Andrea Renzi), have each risen to the peak of their chosen professions. Tony is a nightclub singer who after years of struggle has achieved nationwide fame, and Antonio is a soccer player who becomes a star after scoring the game-winning goal in the European championship match. However, a few years down the line both men are experiencing a sharp reversal of their good fortune. Tony has developed a devastating cocaine addiction, and after it's revealed he's become sexually involved with an underage girl, it doesn't seem likely that the public will ever forgive him. Meanwhile, a leg injury has put an end to Antonio's career as an athlete, and he finds himself starting from zero as he tries to launch a new career in coaching; he faces another personal crisis when his wife, frustrated by Antonio's career decline, leaves him. L'Uomo in Piu was loosely based on the true stories of two Italian celebrities, musician Franco Califano and football star Agostino Di Bartolomei. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Toni Servillo, Andrea Renzi, (more)
- 2000
A young man's determination to put a stop to organized crime in his community puts him at odds with his family in this drama from Italy. As a child, Peppino Impastato was very close with his uncle Don Cesare (Pippo Montalbano), but was unaware that he was head of local Mafia operations. As he grew to adulthood, Peppino (Luigi Lo Cascio) became a political activist and a member of the Communist party, thanks to the influence of a close friend and leftist artist (Andrea Tidona). With his friends, Peppino starts an underground radio station to speak out against the corrupt influence of the Mafia and their control of local government, bravely leading public rallies calling for citizens to stand united against organized crime. However, Peppino's family still has strong ties with the mob, and as the young man and his comrades wage war against Tano and his men, Peppino's father (Luigi Maria Burruano) does everything he can to bring his wayward son back into the fold. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luigi Lo Cascio, Luigi Maria Burruano, (more)
- 1999
- NR
The second feature of Steano Incerti, who learned his trade as assistant director to established fellow Neapolitan filmmakers Mario Martone and Pappi Corsicato, Prima del Tramonto (Before Sundown) is set on Italy's southern coast, a transit point for every kind of human and illegal cargo from around the Mediterranean border. Ali (Said Taghmaoui) is a young and charming Moroccan man who works as a waiter for Nicetra, the old boss of the local criminal ring. At 8 o'clock in the morning, we see him getting ready to marry the daughter of the boss with dreams of settling down comfortably. But at the last minute, he decides to reject the security of an easy solution and deserts the ceremony to take his destiny in his own hands. He finds shelter in a seedy hotel with Assia, who is also from Morocco and is hopelessly in love with him. They make love and plan to run to the airport when it gets dark. Ali falls asleep, only to be woken up by two thugs of the boss, who did not forgive his desertion. Assia has disappeared; probably she has betrayed him. Ali starts to run across hostile land with two men on his tail who are determined to take revenge for their boss. The film is a contemporary thriller, which explores the crisis of values in a society in transition towards a new, multi-ethnic identity. Prima del tramonto was screened in competition at the 1999 Locarno International Film Festival. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Saïd Taghmaoui, Vincenzo Peluso, (more)
- 1997
No linking device is used in this Italian anthology film in which five untitled episodes offer a portrait of life in Rome: A businessman sees a prostitute before going home to his wife; a film-extra goes to a movie theater to see himself but falls asleep before his 15 seconds of fame; a farmhand turns the tables on an East European bully; after a tryst, a woman foresees the death of her lover; and a hitman finds the mob is checking up on him. Shown at the 1997 Locarno Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gigio Alberti, Antonella Ponziani, (more)
- 1994
This Italian thriller is based on the true story of a young Sicilian public prosecutor murdered in 1990. The young magistrate Rosario is considered a revolutionary in his hometown of Canicatti, which is largely run by the Mafia. He is a serious young man, deeply religious and devoted to his parents with whom he still lives. He firmly believes that justice must prevail no matter what the cost. He does not hesitate to defy public opinion in his quest for justice. His parents fear for him. His boss is irritated by him. Fearing an early death, he dumps his fiance, Angela. So rigid a straight arrow is he, that even the other young prosecutors avoid him. Rosario is eventually gunned down by Mafioso Renato Carpentieri's henchmen. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giulio Scarpati, Leopoldo Trieste, (more)
- 1993
This high-energy three part comedy has a strong undercurrent of melancholy, as it shows three different women coping with difficult situations which are usually sexual in origin, even if the moment of romance is long past. In the first tale, Aurora (Iaia Forte) has gotten used to a cozy, wealthy life, but begins to see that world destroyed when her husband is caught in bed (offscreen) with his secretary. Later, he flees the country to avoid getting arrested for something else he has done. Aurora no longer has the trappings of wealth, and returns to her modest beginnings to try and revive her live. There, she attempts to rekindle an old romance, with unsatisfying results. In the second episode, Carmela (Cristina Donadio) is just welcoming her wayward son back to their slum home after he has spent a stint in "reform" school. Some reform! Not only has he just confessed to her that he's gay, but he has become a heroin addict. It doesn't seem like it can get any worse when his real father shows up on the scene, and certain unlikely facts are quickly clarified. Finally, Libera (Iaia Forte) works at a newsstand outside of Naples as the sole breadwinner for her family. She is tired of her husband lounging in their house when he is not out tomcatting around with prostitutes, and decides to do something about it. Her solution to the problem is novel: she secretly has him filmed in bed with the women, and is marketing the tapes of these encounter at her newsstand. As a consequence, she quickly becomes rich, but she is no happier than she was before. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Iaia Forte, Ninni Bruschetta, (more)
- 1990
There have been quite a few spoofs of Hollywood, and a similar number of spoofs about filmmaking in general. This is one of the few spoofs which is about film festivals and, in particular, the Taormina festival in Italy. It was shot during the 1988 festival using many of the actual participants in the festival as actors and leading characters. When word of the film went round, many more wanted to participate than was originally planned, and further scenes were shot during the next year's festival. It was finally shown at the 1990 festival. Those who are not playing themselves are portraying characters who are easily recognized by those attending the festival, though these references are probably impossible for non-participants to understand. Nonetheless, the scenes showing the chaos and energetic self-promotion behind the scenes serve to leaven the heavy seriousness with which festivals promote themselves. The frequently leaden, self-important themes of many festival films are not exempt from barbs in this comedy, any more than the are the windbag philosophical utterances of the unhappy critics who must watch them. Reviewers of this film expressed considerable pleasure in observing the gusto with which the participants made fun of themselves in this unusual festival offering. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jessica Forde, Patrick Bauchau, (more)
