Lino Troisi Movies
- 1996
Set in a non-descript Midwestern town during the 1950s, this fable chronicles the last days in the life of local Mafioso Don Antonio Barracano (Anthony Quinn). During preparations for his 75th birthday celebration, he muses upon his life. While he thinks, his wife Armida continues her campaign to keep her eldest son from entering the family business. Trouble brews for Don Antonio when he learns that his stubborn colleague Arturo is refusing to help out his own financially strapped, estranged son who is trying to do right by his pregnant girlfriend. Don Antonio tries to restore family harmony by intervening, but his plans backfire and a tragedy ensues. The plot is adapted from Eduardo de Filippo's drama Il Sindaco del Rione Sanita (1960). ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1995
When the wife of a former political radical dies after surgery, the man goes over the edge and decides to make society pay for her passing in this Italian crime melodrama. The unhinged widower Amos leaves his job as a watchmaker and begins plotting to punish another ex-radical who sold out and became a government official. Amos enlists the aid of his young apprentice and two other old radicals and together they kidnap the minister and kill his bodyguard. They then hide out in an abandoned seaside mansion. Amos sends David, his assistant, back to the minister's residence to keep watch upon his beautiful daughter Chiara, a student of anatomy, who spends her time dissecting corpses. Eventually, these two disparate young people fall in love. Meanwhile the captured minister begins playing dangerous mind games with the other three. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1986
This is a drama about a mother's determination to save her daughter from a life of prostitution. Eva (Ida Di Benedetto) is working hard in a factory in Turin when she gets word from her mother in Naples that her 15-year-old daughter has disappeared. Actually, the daughter intends to enter a bordello and live independently as a prostitute. Eva immediately heads home to find her; what follows is a series of trials and tribulations, beatings and threats and involvement by the mob. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Concetta Barra, Nunzia Fumo, (more)
- 1986
- R
Gradually picking up dramatic steam as it moves through its 2 1/2 hour running time, this gangster film is loosely based on the career of one of Naples' most sadistic crime bosses, Raffaele Cutolo. Here, the mobster (played by Ben Gazzara) is simply called "The Professor" and is first introduced in prison where he landed after murdering a stranger who was flirting with his sister. From prison he begins to move up the Camorra ladder when he recruits inmates to join him in bringing down the leading crime boss and has his sister pay off their families in return. Without ever leaving prison "The Professor" succeeds in replacing the ruling "don" but far from resting on his laurels he starts to wipe out his enemies and anyone whose loyalty might be in question. Still hampered by his incarceration, he finally escapes and joins forces with the Cosa Nostra and even begins to put major politicians in his pocket. It seems like nothing can stop him until a lone and much-benighted police chief (Leo Gullotta) enters the picture. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Laura del Sol, (more)
- 1982
A small town has its placid waters rocked when a 120-piece orchestra is slated to visit on a regular basis to offer special concerts to the community and its environs. The honor of conducting the orchestra seems like it will fall to Francesco (Michele Placido), the community's most well-established music teacher, and to insure his success, his ambitious wife starts sleeping with one of the organizers of the future concerts. Meanwhile, a disgruntled member of the organizing committee decides to muddy the waters by suggesting that another conductor (Andrea, a friend of Francesco's) be hired. Andrea is also a native son who went to the big city to find conducting work but ended up doing television jobs instead. When he receives the call about the prestigious job opportunity, he enthusiastically goes to the town but his wife refuses to join him. While back home again, Andrea rekindles old friendships and lost ties with an uncle, and realizes that he must try hard to get this conducting job. Soon he and his old friend Francesco are entrenched in solid competition with each other, not sure at all about the outcome. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michele Placido, Tino Schrinzi, (more)
- 1981
- R
Armed with a pistol, a writer (Catherine Spaak) breaks into the home of a successful publisher (Fernando Rey) to convince him to publish her erotic manuscript. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Movie Guide
- 1981
This off-beat mystery is a contemporary silent film that only contains a musical score and a few sound effects. The story focuses on a pair of adulterers. Murder and mayhem ensue. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Elisabeth Long, Lino Troisi, (more)
- 1980
A newcomer in 1981, Massimo Troisi wrote, directed, and starred in this popular comedy about the trials of Gaetano (Troisi) as he runs head-on into quirky characters ranging from a driver bent on ending it all with him in the car, to his mother who considers his forthcoming trip to Florence right up there with a visit to Siberia. Once Gaetano reaches Florence from his beloved Naples, overcoming all manner of obstacles in the process, he visits his 40-ish aunt and finds, to his chagrin, that she has a lover. He leaves, as this is wholly unacceptable, and ends up staying with a born-again American Christian out to convert the Italians. Life gets a little better as he is befriended by a charming young woman (Fiorenza Marchegiani) who does not want to convert anyone, and he moves in with her. From there, Gaetano starts to overcome his shyness, understandable considering the people he knows, and he contemplates life differently after this short time away from home. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Massimo Troisi, Lello Arena, (more)
A sly card sharp tries to make it in the Mafia world of gambling. ~ Kristie Hassen, All Movie Guide
- 1974
In this costume epic, the last days of Julius Caesar are chronicled. The film was shot in the Tunisian desert and the cinematography is especially notable. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
A Mafia hitman's decision to leave his profession results in bloodshed and tragedy. The violence begins when his bosses, to help him change his mind, have the assassin's wife and child brutally murdered, causing the hitman to launch a vendetta against his bosses. The film is also titled Big Guns. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
