Laura Paolucci Movies
With Quiet Chaos (Caos Calmo), acclaimed Italian helmer Nanni Moretti steps away from his standard directorial role to essay the lead and co-author the script in a gentle psychological drama directed by Antonello Grimaldi. Moretti stars as Pietro, a film executive whose life takes an irreversible and devastating turn one fateful morning. During a trip to the beach with his brother, Pietro's path intersects with that of a woman, Eleonora (Isabella Ferrari), who is drowning in the ocean; horrified, Pietro rushes in to save her. He subsequently returns home only to discover that his wife, Lara, just died in a nasty falling accident; devastated to the core, this nascent widower must make the necessary psychological accommodations to adjust to life as a single parent, with sole responsibility for raising his ten-year-old daughter, Claudia (Blu Yoshimi). Almost instinctively, as a reaction to Lara's death, Pietro opts to sit and wait for his daughter to finish school each day (in a park across from the school), in lieu of abandoning her to his own priorities and commitments. This means that the fellow's colleagues in the film industry must, by necessity, come to do business with him in the park. Through it all, Pietro remains silently dumbfounded that the tragedy itself hasn't shaken him more, that the grief (the "quiet chaos" of the title) is subtly agonizing instead of grossly traumatizing and debilitating. Nevertheless, he ultimately begins to approach a full realization and acceptance of his loss, and gains an enhanced awareness of himself and others from the potentially crippling events thrust into his path. Valeria Golino (Rain Man) co-stars; Roman Polanski appears in a cameo as one of Pietro's industry colleagues. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Nanni Moretti, Valeria Golino, (more)
- 2004
- NR
An artist's strange obsessions take a grim toll on the woman he's fascinated with in this drama from Italy. Vittorio (Vitaliano Trevisan) is a jewelry designer who is set up on a blind date with Sonia (Michela Cescon), a attractive woman whose figure is slightly zaftig but well proportioned. Over the course of their date, Vittorio, an obsessive artist who doesn't do well in contact with others, tells Sonia, who is close to few people besides her brother, that he would be more interested in her if she lost some weight. Sonia is miffed at Vittorio's blunt statement, but he persuades her to spend more time with him, and as she grows fond of him, she accepts his offer to move in with him. Soon, Vittorio has put Sonia on a strict regimen of diet and exercise, in a bid to reduce her weight; as he becomes increasingly obsessed with her body, her hunger and exhaustion begin to cause hallucinations, and soon she can no longer tell what around her is real and what is imagined. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michela Cescon, Vitaliano Trevisan, (more)
- 2002
Daniele Vicari's Velocita Massima (Maximum Velocity (V-Max)) is an Italian film about the sub-culture of street racing. Seventeen-year-old Claudio (Cristiano Morroni) goes to work for mechanic Stefano (Valerio Mastandrea), being paid little but promised the ownership of a car Claudio has been rebuilding that Stefano will assist with. Claudio consistently loses to champion street racer Fischio (Ivan De Matteo). Although Claudio is much closer to Stefano than to his own father, he and Stefano have troubles when Claudio takes up with Giovanna (Alessia Barela), who is a former girlfriend of Stefano's. Maximum Velocity (V-Max) was screened in competition at the Venice Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
