Andrea Renzi Movies

A case of serendipity extends itself over many years in Italian director Silvio Muccino's bittersweet romantic drama Parlami d'amore (Let's Talk About Love). Aitana Sanchez-Gijon stars as Nicole, a quadragenarian housewife in a supremely dysfunctional marriage, and Silvio Muccino is Sasha, the twenty-year-old son of a drug-addicted mother and father; the pair meet when their cars crash one fateful evening and they accidentally injure a dog in the process. Taking the canine to a veterinary hospital, the two strangers sense a latent attraction to one another and swap phone numbers but (for unspoken reasons) refrain from calling each other for a lengthy period of time. In that interim, Sasha becomes unwisely attracted to a low-class girl with barrel-bottom standards; unacquainted with the young woman, Nicole offers Sasha advice that helps him win the girl's heart. In time, however, the new girlfriend drags Sasha into heavy gambling and unsavory company, and Sasha and Nicole subsequently begin to realize just how perfect the two of them are for one another. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

A love-struck poet travels into the heart of wartime Iraq in hopes of rescuing the woman he loves in Academy award-winning director Roberto Benigni's affecting tale of love and devotion. A kind poet and father to his daughters, a respected lecturer and literary figure to his students, and a complete nuisance in the eyes of his beloved Vittoria (Nicoletta Braschi), Attilio (Benigni) finds his life suddenly turned upside down when he learns that the object of his undying affections has been critically injured in a Baghdad bombing. Now, despite the chaos sweeping through Iraq, Attilio vows to risk everything in order to travel into the heart of Baghdad and deliver the medicine that will awaken the woman of his dreams from a potentially eternal slumber. Jean Reno and Tom Waits co-star in this heartfelt, seriocomic romance, which pits the uplifting power of love against the destructive force of bombs. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A woman dealing with the loss of her mate learns he had a surprising secret life in this drama from Italy. Antonia (Margherita Buy) is a doctor who finds both challenges and rewards in her work with people with AIDS, who has also enjoyed a long and seemingly happy relationship with her husband Massimo (Andrea Renzi). When Massimo is killed in an auto wreck, Antonia is crushed and turns away from her work and her friends; while she tries to reach out to her mother Veronica (Erica Blanc), Veronica is too emotionally distant to be of much help. As Antonia struggles to come to terms with her grief, she discovers to her shock that her husband had been having an affair through much of their marriage, and her confusion is intensified when she learns that Massimo's lover was a man, Michele (Stefano Accorsi). Antonia confronts Michele, who would prefer not to say anything about Massimo, but Antonia is persistent, and in time the two open up to each other about the man they both deeply loved. As a friendship grows between Antonia and Michele, she has another surprise in store -- she finds she's pregnant with Massimo's child. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Three childhood friends are each confronted with different sides of the tumultuous impact of WWII in this period drama from Italy. Andrea (Andrea Renzi), Guido (Stephane Indovina), and Nives (Lorenza Indovina) grew up together in a city along the Italian coastline. Andrea was the son of a successful druggist who studied medicine according to his father's wishes, even though he dreamed of being a writer. Guido's father was a merchant seaman, and Guido was expected to follow in Dad's footsteps, though he is a gifted musician. And Nives is a woman who loved both men as they loved her. As the War draws to a close, Guido, who became a member of Mussolini's Black Brigade, has been emotionally shattered by the atrocities he witnessed. Andrea is in charge of the hospital where Guido struggles through his delirium; Andrea and Nives try to guide Guido through his mental chaos by recalling the happier days of their youth. Sulla Spiaggia E Di La Molo was based on the novel by popular Italian author Mario Tobino. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Mario Martone (L'amore Molesto) wrote and directed this drama about the tragedy of war, beginning with acting exercises in a garage rehearsal area and then intercutting between the lives of Italian stage actors and scenes of their rehearsals on Seven Against Thebes. Director Leo (Andrea Renzi), in 1994, arranges to have his Italian company, as an act of solidarity, do a show in Sarajevo where theaters have remained open. With the support from actor Vittorio (Marco Baliani), Leo seeks a key to staging the Aeschylus play about a civil war and a city under siege. Theater in Sarajevo is shown in contrast to the mainstream theater in Naples with a lavish production of The Taming of the Shrew staged by pompous Franco Turco (Toni Servillo). Actress Luisella (Iaia Forte) leaves Leo's Greek drama for Turco's production. Even though the actors are going without pay to Seven Against Thebes, young talent Diego (Roberto De Francesco) and diva Sara Cataldi (Anna Bonaiuto) both turn away from Turco to work with Leo, while set designer (Sergio Tramonti) contributes to both. Outside the rehearsal space, Neapolitan life goes on with neighborhood disputes, drug deals, fights, a police round-up, and murder -- events drawing parallels with Sarajevo. Some street scenes are unstaged, adding a documentary authenticity. Martone spent several years on this project by filming the rehearsals of a Seven Against Thebes stage production he directed in 1995-96 (featuring the same cast). Martone wrote his screenplay around that material, and then he filmed in the infamous Spanish Quarter of Naples, shooting in 16mm with a blow-up to 35mm. Shown in the Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide