Claudio Santamaria
- 2007
A group of indigenous people face off against the modern day owners of their ancestral homeland in this drama from Italian filmmaker Marco Bechis. The Guarani Indians are the native peoples of central Brazil, and though a handful of them still cling to the ways passed down by their ancestors, most have been forced to live on a reservation far from their native habitat and wear traditional face paint and loincloths for the sake of tourists and bird watchers in order to earn a living. Depression and suicide is common among the Guarani, and Osvaldo (Abrisio da Silva Pedro) and Ireneu (Ademilson Concianza Verga) decide its time for them to stand up for their people after finding the bodies of two young Guarani women who took their own lives. With the help of tribal leader Nadio (Ambrosio Vilhalva), they organize a protest and soon a band of Guarani peoples are occupying a farm owned by Moreira (Leonardo Medeiros) and his spouse (Chiara Caselli). Nadio insists that Moreira's farm is on land that once belonged to the Guarani tribe and was stolen from them; however, Moreira and his wife are racists unsympathetic to the Indians' cause, and as the conflict between the farmer and the Guarani becomes more heated, Nadio's alcoholism makes him increasingly unstable. BirdWatchers -- La terra degli uomini rossi was an official selection at the 2008 Venice Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Claudio Santamaria, Alicélia Batista Cabreira, (more)
Actor Daniel Craig assumes the role formerly occupied by such screen greats as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton to set out on the character's very first 007 mission. James Bond has earned his "00" status by masterfully executing a pair of death-defying professional assassinations. Now assigned the task of traveling to Madagascar to spy on notorious terrorist Mollaka (Sebastien Foucan) for his maiden voyage as a 007 agent, Bond boldly goes against MI6 policy to launch an independent investigation that finds him traversing the Bahamas in search of Mollaka's notoriously elusive terror cell. Subsequently led into the company of the mysterious Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian) and his exotic girlfriend, Solange (Caterina Murino), Bond soon realizes that he is closer than ever to locating well-guarded terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), the man who has personally bankrolled some of the most prevalent terrorist organizations on the planet. When Bond learns that Le Chiffre is planning to partake in an upcoming high-stakes poker game to be played at Montenegro's Le Casino Royale and use the winnings to establish his financial grip on the globe, M (Judi Dench) assigns beguiling agent Vesper (Eva Green) the task of watching over the fledgling agent as he plays against Le Chiffre in a covert attempt to destroy the nefarious gambler's well-established monetary stronghold in the underworld once and for all. Bond will need more than his legendary gambling skills in order to win this dangerous game, though, and after allying himself with local MI6 field agent Mathis (Giancarlo Giannini) and CIA operative Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), the endlessly suave super-spy puts on his poker face for a high-stakes game of cards in which the stakes are not measured in dollars, but human lives. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Daniel Craig, Eva Green, (more)
- 2005
Giancarlo De Cataldo's best-selling tale about three lifelong friends effectively take control of organized crime in modern-day Rome comes to the screen in this sweeping crime drama from director Michele Placido. Libanese (Pierfrancesco Favino) is the cold-hearted leader of a juvenile delinquent trio that also includes undyingly loyal Freddo (Kim Rossi Stuart) and power-hungry Dandi (Claudio Santamaria). After kidnapping and casually murdering a baron (Franco Interlenghi), the scheming friends soon form the shady alliances with the local gangsters, corrupt cops, and secret service members that will allow them the opportunity to effectively corner the market on heroin sales. Meanwhile, determined Inspector Sciloja (Stefano Accorsi), who has made it his goal to bring Libanese and his cronies to justice, stealthily manages to trace back the marked ransom money from the baron's kidnapping to Dandi's girlfriend Patrizia (Anna Mouglalis) - an alluring call girl whom the inspector soon finds himself falling for. But Inspector Sciloja isn't the only one to fall under the spell of a female who seems strangely out of his reach. On the other side of the law, Freddo becomes enamored by the decidedly pure Roberta (Jasmine Trinca), whose attempts to educate the smitten thug in the beauty of the Italian Masters seem to be made in vain. In projecting a fictionalized tale of murderous criminality against the larger backdrop of Italy's turbulent social history during the waning decades of the 20th Century, director Placido strives to craft a film that is not only entertaining, but historically relevant as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kim Rossi Stuart, Anna Mouglalis, (more)
A serial killer with a knack for video poker and a taste for blood taunts a determined policewoman in director Dario Argento's attempt to bring the traditional giallo into the digital age. Detective Anna Mari (Stefania Rocca) is sitting at her desk when a message from an anonymous online gambler bearing the moniker "The Card Player" invites her to join a game of video poker. When the game screen loads, Mari is horrified to learn that the stakes of the game are higher than she ever could have imagined, as an unidentified female in an over-pixilated web-cam window screams for her life. Though the chief initially refuses to take part in the killer's horrifying game, the death of the innocent victim leads Mari to seek more unconventional means of tracking the murderous gambler. As the killer continues to taunt police, British policeman John Brennan (Liam Cunningham) is brought in to help solve the case. When the killer ups the ante by kidnapping the police chief's daughter, it's only a matter of time before the killer and Mari herself are locked in a pulse-pounding, life-or-death game in which anyone could hold the winning hand. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liam Cunningham
Silvio Soldini's comedy Agata e la Tempestra (Agatha and the Storm) follows what happens to middle age Agata (Licia Maglietta) when a young man attempts to in her heart. His actions cause a number of disruptions in her own life as well as in the lives of many of her acquaintances. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Licia Maglietta, Emilio Solfrizzi, (more)
- 2003
Italian filmmaker directs Il Posto Dell'Anima (The Soul's Place), a drama about a group of dedicated union workers. Set in the small mountain town of Campolaro, the film follows Carair tire factory co-workers Salvatore (Michele Placido), Antonio (Silvio Orlando), and Mario (Claudio Santamaria). When the American-owned company threatens to shut down the factory, the union members organize a serious protest. While the boisterous men chain themselves to the factory doors and get arrested on television to show their solidarity, their long-suffering wives raise money by starting up a homemade pasta business. After several attempts of raising awareness and funds, the union sends a representative to the U.S. to talk to the president of Carair. The Soul's Place was shown in competition at the 2003 Montreal World Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michele Placido, Silvio Orlando, (more)
Parenthood stirs up a wealth of mixed emotions in this drama from Italy. Carlo (Stefano Accorsi) and Giulia (Giovanna Mezzogiorno) are a couple in their late twenties who realize they've crossed the final threshold into adulthood when Giulia discovers she's going to have a baby. Even though Carlo has already settled down, he sees parenthood as the first step towards becoming the sort of middle-class suburbanite he's never respected, and he's not happy about it. Carlo's friends are also having mixed feelings about the onset of maturity: Adriano (Giorgio Pasotti) can't decide if he should go through with his marriage to Livia (Sabrina Impacciatore), Paolo (Claudio Santamaria) is trying to find a way out of going into business with his father, and Alberto (Marco Cocci) seems to be waging a one-man war against monogamy by seducing as many women as possible. Meanwhile, Giulia is having her own misgivings about parenthood, and her mother Anna (Stefania Sandrelli) is torn between happiness for her daughter and dread that she's now old enough to be a grandmother; Anna's malaise isn't eased by the lack of compassion shown by her husband (Luigi Diberti). ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stefano Accorsi, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, (more)
A family struggles to go on after a devastating loss in this deeply emotional drama from Italy. Giovanni (Nanni Moretti) is a psychiatrist with a successful practice in a small community near the ocean. Giovanni has a warm relationship with his wife Paola (Laura Morante), and they have a pair of well-adjusted teenage kids, Andrea (Giuseppe Sanfelice) and Irene (Jasmine Trinca). But the family's calm is shattered when Andrea is unexpectedly killed in an accident. Giovanni finds it impossible to continue with his work, and blames himself for the death, since he was planning to go jogging with Andrea that morning before he opted instead to take an emergency call from a client. Paola and Irene try to keep their emotions in check, but both find this all but impossible as they sink further into anger and grief. The appearance of an unexpected visitor, however, forces the family to confront their feelings about Andrea. Arianna (Sofia Vigliar) is a girl who had a summer romance with Andrea the year before, and has come to town to pay him a surprise visit, unaware of his recent death. Nanni Moretti directed and co-wrote this film, while also starring as Giovanni; it was his first dramatic feature in over a decade after devoting himself to documentaries and short films. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nanni Moretti, Laura Morante, (more)
- 2000
Recalling Werner Herzog's Aguirre: The Wrath of God, acclaimed Chilean filmmaker Miguel Littin directs this sweeping epic about the true-life tale of Romanian engineer Julius Popper and his half-crazed pursuit of gold. Set in 1850, the handsome Romanian rides into a rough and tumble frontier town with his pockets full of gold. He uses his loot to round up dazzled prospectors and seduce hard-bitten brothel owner Armenia (Ornella Muti) into funding his expedition. The band sets off for the rugged South populated by half-naked indigenous people. Claiming the land for the Queen of Romania, Popper captures the Indians as slaves and forces them to mine for gold. They do find a scant amount of gold, which Popper promptly mints into coins bearing his likeness. Popper's second in command, a former Austrian sergeant named Novak (Nelson Villiagra), treats Indians with appalling savagery in the name of civilization, though he develops an odd respect for the tribe's beautiful, thoroughly-tattooed and frequently naked Queen Mennar (Tamara Acosta). As the rainy season sets in, the unpaid miners start to quietly talk of mutiny. Popper makes a bagpiper an example and forces him to play until he keels over. When this fails, Popper offers an ounce of gold for each Indian ear, breast, and testicle. This film was screened at the 2000 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jorge Perugorria, Ornella Muti, (more)
- 1999
Italian director Marco Risi directs this ensemble farce about a series of separate mishaps around a luxurious apartment complex. On New Year's Eve, at the edge of Rome, there is a traffic accident, followed by a soccer team crashing a high-brow ball. Three Mafioso rob a trussed up masochist, and a pair of druggies whacked out on low-grade paint throw dynamite in the heating system. All of these events culminate in one gigantic finale. Kaputt Mundi was screened at the 1999 Mill Valley Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Bellucci, Alessandro Haber, (more)
- 1998
This $5 million Italian comedy is based on a novella by Nicolo Ammaniti (from his 1996 collection Mud). With a structure reminiscent of Robert Altman, interweaving events transpire in 12 hours on New Year's Eve as the film explores the lives of dwellers in a suburban Rome apartment complex: Just before her dinner guests are due, a hostess learns her lover has been sleeping with her best friend; a gigolo hired for the night is surprised by soccer players from his hometown; thieves interrupt the S&M session of a dominatrix and a lawyer; a family prepares for a fireworks display; the building's doorkeeper entertains the maintenance staff while her son sniffs glue; and a woman attempting suicide wanders the halls. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Bellucci, Alessandro Haber, (more)
Bernardo Bertolucci directed this Italian drama co-scripted by Bertolucci and Clare Peploe from a story by British-born writer James Lasdun (co-scripter of Jonathan Nossiter's Sunday). In Rome, reclusive British composer Jason Kinsky (David Thewlis) lives in the building he inherited from his aunt, while his cleaning woman Shandurai (Thandie Newton) resides in the basement, studying medicine. One day, Kinsky tells Shandurai that he loves her and will do anything for her, so she asks him to free her husband, a political prisoner back in Africa. To acquire funds for the man's release, Kinsky begins selling his possessions, including his piano, while Shandurai hangs out with her friend Agostino (Claudio Santamaria), a man angling to get her into bed. Location filming took place in Italy and Kenya. Shown at the 1998 Toronto Film Festival and the 1998 San Sebastian Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Thandie Newton, David Thewlis, (more)
- 1998
Darker undertones infiltrate this lightweight Italian romantic comedy, as a troubled young man's fancy turns to obsession and jealousy. While most of his friends are eagerly preparing to graduate from high school, Matteo realizes that his poor grades are going to hold him back unless he can devise a plan to radically alter his records. His buddy Piterone has the same problem. Matteo's depression lifts when he meets the free-spirited, slightly older artist Margherita and falls in love. She seems to return his affection, and the youth eagerly moves into her studio apartment. At first Matteo is happy, but as time passes, he begins discovering small signs around the place that imply that his beloved has not only had an active past love-life, but that she may also be cheating on him. The more things he finds, the more suspicious Matteo becomes, and when suspicion becomes paranoid obsession, his relationship with Margherita begins to crumble. At the same time, Matteo and Pietrone attempt a desperate ploy to change their grades, an action that brings the story to its climax. The feature-film debut of documentary and television director Gabriele Muccino, Ecco Fatto competed in the 1998 Turin Film Festival. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giorgio Pasotti, Barbora Bobulova, (more)
