Valerio Mastandrea Movies

A dysfunctional family is torn apart in a moment of violence and anger in this thriller from director Ferzan Ozpetek. Antonio (Valerio Mastandrea) is a burly and short-tempered man who works as a bodyguard for Elio Fioravanti (Valerio Binasco), a high-ranking politician. Antonio is officially married to Emma (Isabella Ferrari), but she's left him and has gone to live with her mother Adriana (Stefania Sandrelli), taking their kids Valentina (Nicole Murgia) and Kevin (Gabriele Paolino) with her. Antonio is determined to win Emma back, and when Kevin is invited to a birthday party thrown for Elio's daughter by the politician's young trophy wife Maja (Nicole Grimaudo), he hopes it will give him a chance to reconnect with his family. However, at the party Emma makes it clear that she has no interest in getting back together with Antonio and wants him to stop following her. Antonio flies into a rage, attacks Emma, then storms off with Valentina and Kevin in tow. Once Emma collects herself, she realizes she must act quickly if she wants her children back, and with the help of Mara (Monica Guerritore) they comb the city in search of Antonio. Un Giorno Perfetto (aka A Perfect Day) was an official selection at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

A moderately successful, thirtysomething rocker in dire need of a warm bed and a home-cooked meal returns to his family home in Rimini, only to be faced with a series of crises both large and small in this affectionate family comedy from director Gianni Zanasi. Stefano Nardini (Valerio Mastandrea) is a post-punk guitarist stuck in a strange career limbo; while he isn't exactly an unknown, he wouldn't be considered a household name by any means. When Stefano returns to his childhood home for a momentary reprieve from the rock & roll nightlife, his family welcomes him back with open arms. Unfortunately for Stefano, this retreat will be far from relaxing, since everyone under the roof seems locked into some sort of personal crisis. For starters, once-studious sister Michela (Anita Caprioli) has abandoned her education in favor of working with dolphins, and struggling mother Giuliana (Gisella Burinato) is taking self-help classes from a loopy guru who claims to hold the secrets to a happier life. On the more serious end of things, brother Alberto (Giuseppe Battiston) is locked into a bitter split with his ill-content wife -- a deeply personal woe that is only compounded by the fact that the family factory he runs has sunken deep into debt. When Alberto proves reluctant to divulge the sorry state of the family business to father Walter (Teco Celio), loyal siblings Stefano and Michela do their best to pitch in and set things right. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

In a village rocked by an earthquake, one family struggles to make a new home for themselves while juggling a variety of personal crises. In a small town in Umbia, an earthquake devastates several neighborhoods, and Paolo Zerenghi (Marco Baliani), the city's deputy mayor, finds himself in charge when the mayor is discovered to be seriously injured. The Zerenghi home is also destroyed in the quake, and Paolo, his wife Stefania (Ornella Muti), and their two children are forced to live in a trailer until their house can be rebuilt -- a cramped situation made all the worse when the Zerenghis are forced to take in aging Mrs. Moccia (Ilaria Occhina) and her handsome son, Giovanni (Valerio Mastrandrea). Agostino (David Bracci), one of the Zerenghi siblings, notices that Stefania and Giovanni seem to be getting along unusually well, and with his parent's relationship showing the strain of Paolo's new responsibilities, he suspects his mother may be straying with the good-looking visitor. Young Agostino is also having romantic problems of his own, having developed a crush on two neighborhood girls, Vale (Margherita Porena) and Tina (Michela Moretti), and now having to choose between one or the other. While Domani is fictional, it was inspired by actual events after a massive earthquake hit the Umbia section of Italy in 1997. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Veteran filmmaker Luigi Magni helms this gorgeously-photographed work set during the tumult of mid-19th century Rome. The film focuses on vivacious Cecilla (Lucrezia Lante Della Rovere), innkeeper and creator of renowned spaghetti, and on the Carbonari secret society that agitates against the Vatican for a unified Italy. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

In this Italian road comedy, three pals (Rocco Papaleo, Massimo Ceccherini, Valerio Mastandrea) all are attracted to miniskirted Viola (Asia Argento) and attempt to help her elude both the law and the gangsters out to nab her bag of rare coins. Asia Argento (B Monkey) is the daughter of horror director Dario Argento (Deep Red), and her mother, Daria Nicolodi, also has a role in this film. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Like many other Italian slackers, 22-year-old Walter would be an angry young man if it didn't take so much effort; he feels the same about his prolonged virginity. Instead of diving into life, he prefers to keep his distance and drift aimlessly along the edges while living at home in Turin with his volatile but hard-working father and his flighty mother. In some ways, he has given up before even trying. Based on a best-selling semi-autobiographical novel by Giuseppe Culicchia, this fast-paced, slightly cynical comedy chronicles the dubious adventures of Walter as he tries to cope with his own growing sense of alienation and hopelessness while dealing with mandatory induction into the military, corrupt government bureaucracy, and his various friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

A college graduate looks for work in this low-budget but dead-on Italian comedy. Sergio is proud of his shiny new degree in agronomy and is anxious to put it -- and his theories on growing crops in arid areas -- to good use. To this end, he purchases a copy of "The Practical Guide to Finding Work," an extremely upbeat guide (passages are narrated during the action) that tells him how to pen a resumé, gives him interviewing techniques, and offers many other useful tips. The book works, and Sergio finds himself in line for a plum job in Africa. Unfortunately, before he can go, he must surmount a few obstacles, including his ex-girlfriend Rita and his womanizing, lazy roommate Enzo. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Vulgar, blood-soaked humor abounds in this rollicking Italian black comedy that follows the hellish, bizarre New Years Eve of two average guys who find themselves stumbling from one outlandish situation to the next. After one guy gets dumped by his girl friend, he brashly invites himself to the exclusive party his pal plans to attend. His friend is not happy at spending the evening with such a morose character but allows him to go. Unfortunately, things go awry at the party and he must take the troublesome friend to his parent's suburban home. On a dark, empty highway, the two spy two hitchers. They offer them a ride and end up held at gun point, robbed and then running frantically for their lives in a field. Their flight leads them through dense woods and ultimately to a seemingly empty farmhouse that proves inhabited by a criminally insane poetry fan and his brutal gang. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

This autobiographical Italian comedy paints an honest, yet ironic portrait of the film's creator and star, Piero Natoli. It also provides an insider's critical look at the Italian film industry. Mercurio, a professional filmmaker, is no stranger to hard times. The gentle man's crew, including his daughter Carlotta will follow him anywhere at anytime to make a film. His newest film is all ready for release, but he needs a distributor. Unfortunately the only distributor in Italy is too busy to see it. At the distributor's assistant's suggestion Mario must show the film at Cannes, at his own expense, where maybe his boss will see it. Unfortunately, only one person, a young French woman, Josephine, comes to his screening, and the disappointed Mercurio returns to Rome. Josephine follows. Back home, the director devises a scheme to send his film to Venice. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide