Carlo Giuffré Movies
Academy Award-winner Roberto Benigni adapts the classic children's tale by Carlo Collodi for the big-budget family-oriented comedy Pinocchio. In his usual fashion, Benigni directs and stars, this time as the little puppet boy made out of wood. The familiar story begins as a log of pinewood falls out of a cart and lands in front of woodcarver, Geppetto (Carlo Giuffré), who carves the puppet out of longing for a son. When the puppet begins to come alive and cause trouble, Geppetto is arrested and Pinocchio is left to his own naïve worldview. After getting a stern warning from the Blue Fairy (Benigni's wife and producer Nicoletta Braschi), Pinocchio sets out to reunite with his father, become a real boy, and succumb to some desire for adventure. Along the way, he meets a number of characters played by mostly Italian stage actors, including Franco Javarone, Peppe Barra, and Kim Rossi Stuart. The popular Italian comedy team Fichi d'India plays the roles of the Cat and Fox. Released by Miramax in the U.S., the film received an English-dubbed soundtrack with the voice talents of Glenn Close, David Suchet, and Breckin Meyer as Pinocchio. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, (more)
- 1984
Filmed on location in France, Italy, Greece, and Egypt, Innocents Abroad was adapted by Dan Wakefield from the 1869 book by Mark Twain. The Twain original was an amusing, semi-satiric account of the author's Grand Tour of Europe and the Holy Land in 1867. Most of the humor derived from the contrast between the iconoclastic Twain and the tacked-on "reverence" of his fellow tourists. The cast includes Craig Wasson as Twain, David Ogden Stiers as a ship's doctor, Barry Morse as Captain Duncan, and-best of all--Luigi Proiette as the glib, effusive tour guide. Innocents Abroad premiered May 9, 1983 on PBS' Great Performances series. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1984
In director Anna Maria Tato's shallow depiction of an equally shallow dalliance, Lucia (Fanny Ardant) is unavoidably delayed in meeting her husband in Greece and so decides to take a detour (both geographically and emotionally) to visit her hometown in the south of Italy. Once there, she enters into a brief, afternoon fling with a local man of smoldering looks -- and overcome by what she has done, she hits him on the head with an ashtray and escapes while he is out cold. Soon she is joined by a young girl also running away (from her First Communion celebrations), and the two proceed to hide out from the understandably vexed young man who has regained consciousness and is piqued about his post-coital experience. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Fanny Ardant, Leonardo Treviglio, (more)
- 1983
A slow pace tends to drag the storyline down in this film about a stand-up comedian (Francesco Nuti) whose live-in companion leaves him for another man. When she walks out, he slides into an alcoholic haze and does not come out of it until he hits rock bottom. Once he finds contracts for his act again and is re-establishing himself as a dependable performer, he runs into his old flame at a party, and for a moment it looks like they might end up together -- almost. Touches of the comic talents of Francesco Nuti appear in the nonsense words he composes to a song supposedly in English, and to his treatment of an unsuspecting mailman whom he believes is his ex-lover's new romantic interest. Otherwise, the story is slow and uneven. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francesco Nuti, Barbara de Rossi, (more)
- 1981
The Italian La Pelle was released in English-speaking countries as The Skin. Set in the twilight of World War 2, the film is a compendium of bitter recollections concerning the Allied liberation of Naples. These memories were originally bundled together in book form by Curzio Malaparte, played herein by Marcello Mastroianni. If you've gathered that the tone of the film is anti-American, you're not far off base: it's too bad that cowriter/director Liliana Cavani was more interested in her agenda than in entertaining the audience. The best performance is rendered by Burt Lancaster as General Mark Clark. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Burt Lancaster, (more)
- 1974
A down on his luck gambler goes to work for a pair of wealthy, and lusty, female admirers only to discover that his chores include much more than simple housework. Michele (Carlo Giuffrè) knows how to handle his cards, but lately he's been stuck on a losing streak. Informed by his friend and advisor Peppino (Enzo Cannavale) that his debts have superseded his earnings, Michele sells shoes just to get by. But as good as Michele is at handling cards, he handles women even better. Giulia and Monica are two of his biggest admirers, and they're willing to pay him to perform odd jobs around their mansion. But their idea of odd jobs include getting Michele to pose for nude paintings, and summoning him to the barn for a roll in the hay. Before long, Michele's libidinous new employers are working him around the clock. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
The trouble begins in this French comedy drama when four female roommates witness a theft and begin to suspect their neighbor. More trouble follows when the women decide to steal the money back from the alleged thief. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bernadette Lafont, Jane Birkin, (more)
- 1971
Turn-of-the-century Naples is the setting for this show-business comedy about a theatrical nobody who starts a popular dance craze based on the Can-Can. This film continues lead actress Monica Vitti's successful transition from doing critically acclaimed (but not awfully profitable) dramas to popular comedy. Her acting makes up for her minimal singing and dancing skills, and the film is assisted by a strong supporting cast, first-class production values and upbeat music. This film is also notable for its efforts to accurately show Neapolitan life of the period. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1968
This wry comedy finds the beautiful Assunta (Monica Vitti) being kidnapped by Vincento (Carlo Giuffre) and taken to his remote home in the country. He plans to "dishonor her" and by doing so, win her hand in marriage. In a hilarious turn of events, Assunta willingly gives in to the amorous advances of Vincento. Finding him to her liking, the innocent girl suddenly turns into an insatiable sex fiend who causes the exhausted abductor to flee for his life. Assunta escapes, but the taunting of the local villagers causes her to leave and pursue the fleeing Vincento. She tracks him down to Britain and sheds her country-girl image for a mod makeover in order to fit into the blue-blooded London society. She plans to murder Vincento until she meets a divorced physician. She and Dr. Osborne (Stanley Baker) fall for each other, and the jilted Assunta is content to slap Vincento rather than shoot him to death. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Monica Vitti, Stanley Baker, (more)
- 1964
Four different takes on the meaning of love comprise this Italian anthology. "Love and Language," the first tale, centers on the difficulties of a Sicilian immigrant who is unable to master proper Italian. the second tale "Love and Life" centers on a jealous and unhappy wife who becomes so desperate to be free of her constantly philandering husband she takes on a lover of her own. When that doesn't work, she hires a gorgeous maid in hopes of finally getting proof that he is cheating. Unfortunately, things don't turn out quite the way she'd planned. In the third episode, "Love and Art" a nearly exhausted screenwriter hires a secretary to help manage his typing. She's a pretty lass and this makes his insecure wife crazy until he fires the female and hires a male secretary. Unfortunately, he too wants to write for the movies and soon begins making significant improvement to his boss's work making him a big success. The first screenwriter is so happy about this that he doesn't mind when his secretary begins having an affair with his wife. "Love and Death," the final episode centers on the love affair between a middle-aged widower and the grieving young widow he meets at the cemetery. Unfortuantely for his bank statement, the young, impoverished beauty isn't as bereaved as she seems. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sylva Koscina, Gastone Moschin, (more)
- 1962
Based on a 1907 comedy by Victorien Sardou and Emile Moreau, Madame Sans-Gene was first interpreted by Gloria Swanson in 1923. In this version of the free-wheeling laundress who joins the nobility, Sophia Loren plays the lead and the man she falls in love with, the soldier Lefebvre, is played by Robert Hossein. Madame Sans-Gene does the laundry for a little-known lieutenant named Napoleon (Julian Bertheau), but after she falls for Lefebvre, she takes off, following him around the French Revolution and loses track of Napoleon, who has other things to do. Circumstances bring Lefebvre a noble title and even more -- Napoleon decides to make him the local ruler over a large territorial fiefdom. But trouble brews when Madame Sans-Gene, now elevated to the nobility along with her man -- cannot keep her frank observations under control. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sophia Loren, Robert Hossein, (more)
Pietro Germi is both star and director of Il Ferroviere. Germi plays Andrea, a railroad engineer with a large and troublesome family. Faced with a choice between supporting his fellow workers in a strike and keeping his family fed, Andrea opts for the latter. Branded a scab by his former cohorts, he is likewise given the cold shoulder by his wife and children. Drowning his disappointment in liquor, Andrea is saved from self-destruction when his youngest son decides to forgive and forget. Il Ferroviere was released in the U.S. as The Railroad Man and Man of Iron. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Pietro Germi, Luisa della Noce, (more)
