Nicola Carraro Movies

Set in an early medieval period, this swashbuckling costume drama pits Christian knights against infidels in an imaginary holy war, and what is more astounding and a tribute to the Italian love of amore, is that the commanders from each side fall in love with "enemy" women and decide to call it a day, pack in their arms, and go off to do better things. Ruggero (Ronn Moss) leads the infidels in some of the best-looking armor this side of Armani, and Rolando (Rick Edwards) is at the forefront of the Christian knights. One of the knights is a misnomer -- he is actually a she, Bradamante (Barbara De Rossi), and when she sees the well-clad Ruggero, she agrees to hand over his sister Isabella (Tanya Roberts) just to get in his good graces. These four protagonists go through a series of adventures and misadventures in a gorgeous setting of Byzantine castles, mountain canyons, and dark forests, all complemented by aesthetic, inventive sets and creative costuming. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

The writer and director of this comedy, Maurizio Nichetti, is also its star, known as the "cousin." Essentially mute and always nameless, the cousin pays tribute to one of Nichetti's favorites, the silent comedian Buster Keaton and his inventive sight gags. In a remake of the Rip Van Winkle nap, the cousin falls sleep while watching television and wakes up two decades later, a grown man and unable to utter a word. He becomes a member of his cousin's household in Milan, setting off his own silent antics against the three women who already live in the house -- an actress, a schoolteacher, and an artist. The cousin and the actress get jobs as extras in the same commercial in which Nichetti breaks form and pronounces his only line, "I made a splash." That becomes the leitmotif of the action, as the manic scenes lead from a riotous wedding to backstage during a performance of La Scala. Nichetti's unrelenting jabs at the worlds of television and advertising provide a comedic shakedown that is sharpened by the innovative use of split screens, animation, and in contrast to the mute "cousin," inanimate objects that talk. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

This entertaining, light comedy is carried on the shoulders of Nino Manfredi, who plays a gypsy coffee vendor illegally selling expresso on trains. Inventive, creative, and needing to stay several steps ahead of the conductors and other bureaucrats out to shut down his operation, the cafe artist often finds himself hiding out in the most unusual places. He needs the money because his young, asthmatic son needs medical attention. That fact casts no shadow on the comedy though, as the coffee vendor continues to dodge his pursuers toward what must surely be an upbeat ending for all concerned. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

In this Italian comedy, a chronic daydreamer finds he is too busy using his imagination to find work or love. To rectify the situation, he builds a robot double that he dresses up in disco garb. The robot is a great success until a beautiful woman tries to seduce it. In the end, the dreamer and the woman discover they are more alike than the ever would have dreamed. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi