Vincenzo Cerami Movies
Originally Uccellacci e Uccellini, The Hawks and the Sparrows was adapted by director Pier Paolo Pasolini from his own novel. Italian comedian Toto plays a dual role, as "himself" and 12th century monk Brother Ciccillo. In modern times, Toto and his son Ninetto Davoli come across a talking crow who insists upon asking them where they're going. The answer, it turns out, is eight centuries into the past, where Toto and Davoli become monks, employed by Francis of Assisi to convert the birds of the world to Christianity. Unfortunately, every sparrow that they win over to God is devoured by a hawk. Back in the present, Toto and Davoli face a similar situation when their landlord threatens them with eviction. After various and sundry misadventures, the two human protagonists, growing weary of the philosophical crow's loquaciousness, eat the bird and move on, prepared to face whatever life brings them without the "help" of their feathered friend. The symbolism in The Hawks and the Sparrows is so obvious as to be funny, which was Pasolini's intention all along. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Totò, Ninetto Davoli, (more)
- 1970
Leonard Mann stars in this melodramatic spaghetti western from director Ferdinando Baldi. Mann plays Sebastian, a black-clad gunfighter searching for a killer in order to avenge his father's murder. While being dragged into a web of deceit, Sebastian falls in love with the beautiful Anna (Luciana Paluzzi), whose own past contains some startling revelations as well. Much of the film deals with secrets of the silent serial variety, in which relationships are never what they appear and mysteries are revealed in such a flamboyant manner that the viewer almost expects gnashing of teeth and wild exclamations of "A-ha!" Pilar Velazquez, Peter Martell, and Piero Lulli co-star in this silly Italian-Spanish co-production. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- 1971
- R
In this spaghetti western, set during the last days of the Civil War, an outlaw finds a dying Confederate officer. As the officer expires, he tells the outlaw about a cache of gold hidden in his blind father's home. The enterprising thief takes the dead man's clothes and tricks the father and his housekeeper into believing that he is the son. He is just about ready to begin looking for the gold when an outlaw gang comes to town and forces him to help them rob an army payroll wagon. He then tries to abscond with the loot. The bandits torture him, shoot him, and leave him for dead. Then they shoot the blind father. The hero gets better and gets grisly revenge upon the outlaws. He saves a special treat for the gang leader. First he uses mud to blind him. Then he puts a gun in his hand and kills him. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1972
A sightless gunslinger and his "seeing-eye" steed is in charge of safely transporting 50 mail-order brides to an isolated Texas town. Unfortunately, a group of Mexican bandits have their own designs on the women. This comical Italian western follows the attempts of the blind hero to rescue them. By the time he gets there the women have decided that they have had enough of all men. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1973
Two families of Moroccan rug-makers are contrasted in this award-winning French-language film. The poor family makes its living by dyeing the wool used in the rugs made in the richer family's factory. When the boss of the factory refuses to see the son of the poor family following an accident which has injured his father, the poor son breaks into the boss's house. He is met by unsupportable abuse from the rich wife, who flogs him for dirtying her carpets. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1975
A Frenchwoman vacationing with her daughter and a Viennese professor vacationing with his son meet in the Tyrolean Alps of Italy. Of a liberal persuasion, both parents actively encourage the two young people to get to know one another, and perhaps have their first sexual liaison; the two adults have long since gone to bed with one another. With many hesitations and missed opportunities, this is just what the daughter and son eventually do. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Anne Heywood, Claudio Cassinelli, (more)
- 1977
Giovanni Vivaldi (Alberto Sordi) doesn't have many ambitions in life. As far as he is concerned, things are pretty good just as they are. He has a wonderful son, whom he is grooming for a place in the civil service, and a weekend hideaway which he loves fixing up. His wife Amalia (Shelly Winters) is also a happy sort, and she adores their son. However, when the boy, an innocent bystander, is killed by some bank robbers, Giovanni's fuse is finally lit. Soon he is consumed by the need to get revenge. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alberto Sordi, Shelley Winters, (more)
- 1979
The old Guy De Maupassant story The Devil would seem to be the springboard for the Italian-made Leap Into the Void. Michel Piccoli plays an Italian jurist whose sister Anouk Aimee is a bit "light in the belfry". Piccoli entreats Michele Placido to convince the awkward Aimee to kill herself. The results are unexpected, and fascinating. As with most of his work, director Marco Bellocchio uses the seemingly petty problems of his bourgeois characters as a mirror of what is going on in society at large. Leap Into the Void was originally released as Salto nel Vuoto; both Michel Piccoli and Anouk Aimee won Best Acting awards at the 1980 Cannes Festival. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michel Piccoli, Anouk Aimée, (more)
- 1980
This farce features Jodi Foster, Catherine Deneuve, and Ugo Tognazzi. Tersina (Foster) is a pregnant teen whose parents want her married, pronto. Cerquette (Tognazzi) is an insurance man who wears a chastity belt to keep him from ravishing the two women he desires. A pair of bachelors liven up the action (Michele Placido and Luigi Proietti) which is not easy. Except for the introductory scenes, all of the action takes place in the dressinig (and undressing) room of a beach house. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jodie Foster, Paolo Stoppa, (more)
- 1981
An off-beat comedy that takes a close look at the homeless and the hungry, Minestrone pulls off its wry and acerbic vision thanks to Sergio Citti, director and co-author of the script (with Vincenzo Cerami). Roberto Begnigni as Maestro contributes his own comedic talents to the film. The story centers around three characters who are brought together through the common human need to survive. Francesco (Franco Citti) and Giovanni (Ninetto Davoli) first meet at a garbage can, fending off a hungry dog for the scraps of food inside. The two men become friends, and soon get thrown in jail for causing a traffic snarl as they look up at the sky. Once in jail, however, they get to know the "upper crust" Maestro who cops his meals by walking into good restaurants dressed to the hilt and leaving without paying the bill. The three hook up as pals, and the story continues as their adventures take them out into the world again, giving the audience a chance to see society's role in the larger issue of hunger. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roberto Benigni, Franco Citti, (more)
- 1982
- R
Giovanni (Lou Castel) comes home after his brother's suicide to encounter the same family problems that have been around for years: his mother is a religious fanatic now obsessed with her son's errant spirit, his older brother has a cold and uncaring relationship with his children and his wife, and Giovanni's uncle who runs the wealthy family's house is always out to turn a profit for himself. When Giovanni goes to berate his dead brother's lover for not even coming to his funeral (his brother gave her an apartment and an income, and then she broke off with him because she did not love him), an unexpected attraction starts that builds in intensity as time goes on. Eventually, they start an emotionally-charged relationship that goes up and down like a roller coaster, their conflicts fueled in part by the ghost of the dead brother, by the fact that she is pregnant with his child, and by the difference in their economic status. As their relationship continues, it becomes a question of whether or not they will be able to overcome their differences -- a question that looms larger every day. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lou Castel, Ángela Molina, (more)
- 1982
In this rich, complex drama, the threat of terrorism serves as a backdrop to an examination of dysfunctional family relationships. Fausto Rossi portrays neglected teenager Emilio, whose father Dario (Jean-Louis Trintignant), a university professor, introduces him to his student, Giulia (Laura Morante) and her lover, Sandro (Vanni Corbellini). Emilio loves photography, and sets about taking pictures of the pair, soon coming to believe that Giulia and his father are lovers. Because Dario and his son are respectful of each other's privacy to a fault, Emilio can't ask, so he starts to spy. When he finds Sandro dead in the street one day, the apparent victim of a Red Brigade terrorist shooting, Emilio decides to keep an even closer eye on his father. It is never completely confirmed whether Dario and Giulia were really having an affair or whether Dario was involved in terrorism, because these issues are not necessarily director Gianni Amelio's concern. Amelio is concerned with perception, and in this fascinating film he examines his young protagonist's multi-faceted interpretations of an elusive truth, revealing that such a thing may not even exist. This is a powerful, absorbing film for thoughtful viewers in search of a challenge. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jean-Louis Trintignant, Laura Morante, (more)
- 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)
- 1984
Enhanced by a good musical score and good cinematography, this first-time directorial effort by Francesca Comencini is an engrossing, partially autobiographical story of a drug-addicted couple who heroically try to break their destructive habit. Maria (Giulia Boschi) and Paolo (François Siener) agree to live apart and not reunite until they are heroin-free. Their scheme works, and to celebrate they take a vacation in Sri Lanka together -- but it was ill-timed. The two lapse in their resolve and soon they are shooting up as before. Paolo despairs of being normal again, and Maria devotes herself to playing her grand piano as a consolation and inspiration in her fight against her drug habit. The couple's differing attitudes toward their addiction soon reach dramatic and tragic proportions, as the film nears the closing credits. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giulia Boschi, Giovannella Grifea, (more)
- 1985
Giuseppe Bertolucci (younger brother of Bernardo Bertolucci) has created a movie unusual for its all-female cast of well-known Italian actresses and for a script that gives them latitude to develop their individual characters. The story is about Laura (Lina Sastri) a young terrorist who commits a rash act of cold-blooded murder which introduces the other women in this story. Laura is in Venice when she kills a judge and a gang member who was vacillating in his commitment. The dead terrorist's mother (Rosanna Podesta) and sister (Giulia Boschi) attend his funeral in Avellino, an area devastated after a severe earthquake -- a particularly dramatic backdrop for a funeral. Back home, Laura's former nanny (Alida Valli) still lives with the family and is as astute as ever -- she figures out what Laura has done and leaves for good. Laura's mother (Lea Massari) is not as perceptive about her own daughter and can hardly believe Laura has done anything wrong, even after the police come to take her away. The effect this has on the devoted mother is totally devastating. Meanwhile, Laura is brought before a judge (Mariangela Melato) for questioning, made all the more difficult because of her critical emotional state and the judge's own personal problems. The wisdom of Laura's confession and the many "secrets" she reveals is another matter entirely. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Lina Sastri, Lea Massari, (more)
- 1985
In a routine drama about teen drug addiction, Antonio Morelli (Ben Gazzara) is a lawyer with good community standing who is overwhelmed when he discovers that his son has a heroin habit. Antonio lets his law practice slide, and he does everything he can to get his son off drugs -- but nothing works. Finally, in desperation he intentionally starts taking heroin himself in a risky effort to show his son what it looks and feels like from the other side of the fence. He can only hope this last-ditch effort achieves what nothing else could up to now. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ben Gazzara, Sergio Rubini, (more)
- 1985
In a well-rounded tale of fatherly love and its sacrifices, (Francesco Nuti) stars as Romeo Casamonica, a thief just released from a five-year prison sentence who returns to his old haunts to look for his wife and son. The neighborhood has changed beyond recognition, his wife is nowhere to be seen, and only after outsmarting a cold-blooded social worker does he find out the truth about his son. The boy has been adopted by a couple living in the mountains. In order to get closer to the eight-year-old Lorenzo, Romeo anonymously insinuates himself into the household and promptly falls for his son's adoptive mother (Ornella Muti). Matters become even more complicated when he sees how happy his son is with his new parents. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francesco Nuti, Ornella Muti, (more)
- 1986
Physician Robert Briand (Robin Renucci) runs a leper colony in the 15th century that takes in new residents who suffer from the ravages of syphilis. When the beautiful Marie-Blanche (Isabelle Pasco) is brought to the grim, prison-like facility, Robert finds she displays no apparent signs of disease. He risks everything when he falls in love with the woman and makes plans to run away with her. Erland Josephson plays Robert's father, with Piera Degli Esposti as Robert's faithful assistant Terese. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Robin Renucci, Isabelle Pasco, (more)
- 1987
Lorenzo (Francesco Nuti) is a local playboy who satisfies the carnally curious women of Genoa in this often somber comedy drama. He makes the mistake of falling in love with a woman who is to be married the following day. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Francesco Nuti, Ornella Muti, (more)
- 1988
- R
Ferroccio Ferri (Paolo Rossi) is a quiz-show champion who is an expert on camels in this offbeat comedy. He is eligible for the upcoming show that will award a sizeable sum of money to the grand-prize winner. Camillo (Diego Abatantuono) is the manager of a second-rate traveling troupe who recruits Ferri to ride a camel for a promotional tour of the Po Valley. Sabina Guzzanti plays a notoriously bad singer in Camillo's troupe with comedic flair. Ferri loses on the quiz show and meets the beautiful Anna (Giulio Boschi) on the train ride back home. Anna talks Ferri into posing as her lover so she can dump her fiancee in front of her mother (Laura Betti) and father (Giancarno Sbragia). ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paolo Rossi, Diego Abatantuono, (more)
- 1988
Father Maurice (Walter Matthau) is called on to perform an exorcism of a demon from a fat lady in this offbeat comedy. What emerges is Giuditta (Roberto Benigni) a narcissistic, fun-loving devil with a penchant for nonsensical sayings, and the devil attaches himself to Father Maurice for a series of comedy gags. Giuditta falls for the gambler Nina (Nicoletta Braschi) and impedes the priest's romantic progress with the beautiful Patrizia (Stefania Sandrelli). Maurice discovers that Nina and the expressionless Cusatelli (John Lurie) are two demons sent to retrieve the wayward Giuditta. Matthau and Benigni provide the majority of the laughs with Benigni doubling as director and devil. ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Roberto Benigni, Walter Matthau, (more)
- 1988
- PG
A ham radio operator hears more than he wants to when he tunes into a satellite relay station and listens in on the murder of a woman in this suspenseful Italian thriller. The other witness is Peter, who helms the station and accidentally taps into a spy station. Unfortunately, he doesn't know where the murder occurred. He and the amateur radio operator then team up to warn the woman they believe will be the next victim of the murderer. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vincent Spano, Oliver Benny, (more)
Leviathan, a sci-fi thriller directed by George Pan Cosmatos, is the story of a group of scientists who discover a sunken Russian submarine which contains a monster that is the product of a genetic experiment. This film, a hybrid of both The Abyss and Alien, has a decent cast, including Peter Weller as Beck, the lead oceanographer. Working with a good budget, action director Cosmatos, should have been able to put together better action sequences and a more frightening monster, but he gives this derivative, silly film below-par special effects and no particular visual style. Leviathan, while it may entertain a less-sophisticated viewer, has little to offer fans of the genre who are looking for thrilling special effects. ~ Linda Rasmussen, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Peter Weller, Richard Crenna, (more)
