Mario Monicelli Movies
A history and philosophy student at the Universities of Pisa and Milan, Mario Monicelli first yelled "Roll 'em" (in Italian, of course) when he co-directed a 16-millimeter short subject called I ragazzi dela via Paal (1935), inspired by Ferenc Molnar's The Boys of Paul Street. The film won a Venice Festival prize, whereupon Monicelli embarked on a lengthy apprenticeship as assistant to several of Europe's top directors: Gustav Machaty, Pietro Germi, and a host of others. A scriptwriter from 1944, Monicelli formed a partnership with comedy scrivener Stefano Vanzina, who billed himself as "Steno." The team directed its first feature, Al diavolo la Celebrita, in 1949. Monicelli's first solo effort was Proibito (1954), which like many of his best films dealt with everyday folks who are mired down by their unwillingness to take risks and/or their inability to rise above their simple-minded attitudes. One of his biggest hits was Big Deal on Madonna Street (1958), a tale of a "perfect crime" gone awry due to the indecision, ignorance, and ineptitude of its participants. Even when Monicelli's characters are firm in their convictions, they are prone to failure: An excellent example of this is his 1963 drama I compagni (The Conformist), a case history of a labor strike which, like Monicelli's earlier La Grand Guerra (The Great War, 1959) won Venice's Golden Lion Award. Mario Monicelli has also won the Berlin Festival Best Director prizes for 1957's Fathers and Sons, 1976's Caro Michele, and 1982's Il Marchise del Grillo. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 2006
Marcello Mastroianni (1924-1996) was arguably the most famous and respected leading man in the history of Italian cinema. A favorite of such directors Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti and Michelangelo Antonioni, Mastroianni's fame in Europe extended to the United States, where he was nominated for three Academy Awards and frequently starred opposite another celebrated Italian player, Sophia Loren. Filmmakers Mario Canale and Annarosa Morri offer a look at the public and private sides of this legendary actor in the documentary Marcello: A Sweet Life, which features archival interviews with the actor alongside reminiscences from his family, friends and colleagues. Interview subjects include actresses Claudia Cardinale and Anouk Aimee, directors Ettore Scola, Mario Monicelli and Lina Wertmuller, and Marcello's daughters Barbara Mastroianni and Chiara Mastroianni. Marcello: A Sweet Life received its world premiere at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
A group of likable losers try to pull of what by their standards seems like a major heist in this offbeat crime comedy, loosely based on the classic Italian caper comedy I Soliti Ignoti. A group of sad sacks living in a rundown neighborhood in Cleveland all have one thing in common -- they need money, and aren't especially fussy about how they get it. Riley (William H. Macy) is a guy whose wife has been sent to jail, leaving him to look after their baby, when she's unable to pay a fine. Pero (Sam Rockwell) is in love with a beautiful girl (Jennifer Esposito) who has a roving eye, and he's convinced that a bigger bankroll would help him win her heart. Leon (Isaiah Washington) is a hipster who wants to keep his sister, Michelle (Gabrielle Union), out of trouble. Basil (Andrew Davoli) is a guy with bad luck, and eyes for Michelle. And Toto (Michael Jeter) is a small-time crook looking for something to do -- if it's profitable, all the better. Someone gets the bright idea that a robbery might be the answer to everyone's problems, and with the help of Jerzy (George Clooney), a safe-cracker confined to a wheelchair, they set out to find the right target. Welcome to Collinwood was the first feature film from the writing and directing team of Anthony Russo and Joe Russo; filmmaker Steven Soderbergh and co-star George Clooney served as producers. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Luis Guzman, Michael Jeter, (more)
- 1999
Panni Sporchi is a satiric comedy from veteran director Mario Monicelli about the public and private squabbles of a family-owned cough drop company. The Razzi family's business has been the economic backbone of a small Northern Italian city for years, but when Amedo (Paolo Bonacelli), the aging head of the company, is fast-talked into financing an expensive commercial set in ancient Rome by his nephew Camillo (Francesco Guzzo), war breaks out among the family. Furio (Michele Placido), husband of Amedo's daughter (Mariangela Melato) and second in command of the company, is outraged at the cost of the spot and the bad publicity it receives; he's even more upset when Amedo drops dead and the inept Camillo is handed control of the business. Panni Sporchi stars several noted Italian comic actors, many of whom have worked with Monicelli before; the cast also includes Gigi Proietti and Ornella Muti. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michele Placido, Mariangela Melato, (more)
- 1996
In this gentle Italian comedy, a troupe of flamenco dancers has been stranded in a town in rural Tuscany. When a stolid wine-growing family agrees to give them accommodations, the family members' lives of dull endurance are transformed as they are affected the romance, excitement and sensuality of their guests. The presence of the dancers causes quite a stir among the villagers as well. Levante (Leonardo Pieraccioni) lives with his father and sister in the family vineyard, and is enamored by the exotic charms of flamenco-dancer Caterina (Lorena Forteza). She is interested in him as well. Levante's family, and Caterina's dance troupe join forces in opposing their union, but all turns out well in the end. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- 1995
Based on a short story from Giuseppe Pontiggia's popular Italian book Vite di uomini non illustri (Lives of Non-Illustrious Men), this comedy chronicles the many lively phases in the life of Claudia Bertelli, who lived between 1949 and 2011. Born to former radicals turned conservative middle-class Milanese, Claudia realizes that her parents can never consciously decide whether they find her behavior shocking or tolerable. During the 1960s, Claudia gets involved with protesting and falls in love for the first time with an idealistic, angry reactionary who subsequently disappears "underground" for many years. By the time he finally emerges he has become a corrupt devotee of the Socialist Party leader Bettino Craxi. By the 1970s, Claudia's protests have taken a feminist bent. She shocks her parents when she gives birth to a black baby from an unknown father and then later marries a Jewish philosopher. It doesn't last, but Claudia continues to be socially conscious for the rest of her life. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
This unique Italian pseudo-documentary deftly blends fact with fiction in its portrait of stage, screen, and television actor Alessandro Haber (a.k.a. Antonio Hutter). Haber, considered one of Italy's finest comic actors, has worked with some of the greatest Italian directors of all time including, Bertolucci, Mastroianni, Michele Placido, and Nanni Loy. Film clips and interviews are interspliced throughout the film and the line between the truth and the story behind the comic actor's life is delightfully blurred. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alessandro Haber, Adriana Innocenti, (more)
- 1994
- R
This Italian comedy, set in WW II, follows the road trip of a troupe of traveling boxers upon the roads of Tuscany. The story begins in August 1944 after Italy has been freed by the Allies. Dieci is a boxer living in Florence. He got his name (which means "Ten") because of his proclivity for being easily knocked out. Conditions in Florence are hard; Dieci decides to put together a travelling troupe to help make some money, and find food. Unfortunately no one in his troupe is a boxer. Followed by a lost dog, the group sets off in a broken down, brakeless bus. They are joined by an African-American army deserter and a Shaved Head woman who lost her hair after being caught consorting with a German. They are finally joined by Wilma who seeks revenge upon the partisan who did her wrong. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paolo Villaggio, Massimo Ceccherini, (more)
- 1990
In this wry comedy, if it were not for the fact that screenwriter Giuseppe Marchi (Giancarlo Giannini) is clearly overwhelmed by attacks of guilt at his sometimes caddish behavior, it would be easy to dislike him as he is shown disclosing his inner life to his psychiatrist (Vittorio Caprioli). Instead, he is seen to have suffered a series of acute psychosomatic illnesses which were misdiagnosed so that he suffered a slew of unnecessary abdominal operations. Eventually some shred of self-understanding, coupled with a deep sense of resignation at life's unfairness, prompts him to leave all his travails behind for a simple, if lonely, life in Calabria. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Giancarlo Giannini, Emmanuelle Seigner, (more)
- 1987
In one popular Spanish-English dictionary, "picaro" is defined as "roguish; scheming, tricky; low, vile; mischievous," and when used as a noun it refers to a rogue, a schemer. Yet the word also harkens to the kinds of novels (picaresque) that came out of Spain in the 17th century, including Don Quixote, stories that recounted the wanderings of vagabonds of one kind or another. This film by the esteemed director Mario Monicelli is set in the 17th century and concerns the picaresque adventures of two amusing "picaros." Lazarillo and Guzman (Enrico Montesano and Giancarlo Giannini) first met when they were slaves rowing on a prison-galley ship, and they strike up a friendship based on their having endured similarly horrific childhoods. While escaping from the slave ship during a mutiny (they chose the wrong side) they narrowly escape drowning and are separated. Guzman becomes an impoverished Baron's (Vittorio Gassman) personal servant and puts his thieving ways to good use in that capacity, while Lazarillo joins an acting troupe. When they meet again, they immediately decide to pull off a con-job they call "the cannoli trick." ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Enrico Montesano, Giancarlo Giannini, (more)
- 1985
Originally titled Speriamo che sia Femmina, Let's Hope It's a Girl is a multifaceted exploration of the pointlessness of sexual stereotypes. Liv Ullmann is a countess who, after her divorce, takes over the family farm. Realizing that she can't rely on the patriarchal society structure for assistance, Ullmann runs the farm herself with the help of her female servants and relatives. When the Count (Philipe Noiret) comes back into her life, he and his male buddies find themselves outclassed by the expertise of the ladies. The flawless cast of Let's Hope It's A Girl includes Catherine Deneuve and Bernard Blier, the latter superb as a doddering old nobleman. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Liv Ullmann, Catherine Deneuve, (more)
- 1985
The Two Lives of Mattia Pascal is based on Le Deux Vite di Mattia Pascal, one of Luigi Pirandello's many stories concerning the transitory nature of the intangibles "Truth" and "Identity" Marcello Mastrioanni is a downtrodden average man, treated like trash by his fiancee, scorned by his associates, and cheated out of his inheritance by contemptuous relatives. The dispirited Mastrioanni heads to Monte Carlo, where he accrues a fortune. He also assumes the identity of a less fortunate gambler who has committed suicide. The "new" Mastrioanni is treated with a dignity and respect that overwhelms him--and nearly kills him. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marcello Mastroianni, Flavio Bucci, (more)
- 1984
This enjoyable parody of classic fairytales about kingdoms and despotic kings is set in the year 1000 and stars Italy's Ugo Tognazzi in top form as Bertoldo, a crafty peasant who has to outwit the king (not necessarily a difficult job) and others in order to stay afloat and alive. Joining him for awhile is Fra Cipolla (Alberto Sordi), a fake priest out to fleece his flock whenever the opportunity presents itself. Among the many comic episodes in the film is one in which Fra Cipolla and Bertoldo, and little Bertoldino (Bertoldo's son) hide some gold coins in a donkey's stomach and then sell the beast -- now with a certain amount of indigestion -- to a peasant family who are amazed at the end results. The king condemns Bertoldo to death by hanging for this trickery, but at the same time -- and much to his undoing -- he agrees to let Bertoldo choose the tree. That is not an easy task. Months later, Bertoldo arrives back at the king's castle carrying a little potted plant, the tree of his choice, requesting that they let it grow. The talents of Sordi, Tognazzi, and Lello Arena as the put-upon king, carry the full two hours of this royal spoof. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ugo Tognazzi, Maurizio Nichetti, (more)
- 1982
The real Marquis of Grillo lived in the early 18th century, but, for this take-off on the marquis' life, director Mario Monicelli) has changed the time period to the early 19th century when a lot more was going on in Rome. The marquis (Alberto Sordi) amuses himself by throwing red-hot coins to beggars, occasionally walling up the store entrance of an offending merchant and installing a urinal there instead, and generally making witty and broad comments on the life going on around him. His existence suddenly gets a lot more interesting when he discovers his physical (unrelated) twin in a Roman tavern (also Alberto Sordi) - a drunkard who works transporting coal when he is sober. As a joke, the marquis takes the passed-out drunk to his mansion and puts him in his bed -- fully intent on convincing the drunk and everyone else that this man is the real marquis. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alberto Sordi, Caroline Berg, (more)
- 1982
In a series of vignettes that serve as a sequel to Amici Miei, director Mario Monicelli brings back several of his stars from the earlier movie to continue their antics in Florence, home of the friends of the title. All five are (or in some cases, were) close companions and have a penchant for practical jokes. Count Lello Mascetti (Ugo Tognazzi) may not have much money, but then he has an unattractive, pregnant, unmarried daughter to compensate. Prof. Sassaroli (Adolfo Celi) is a surgeon who decides to get back at a slightly senile loan shark, and the other friends range from a bar owner to a love-sick man. Together, they are sure to go from one unlikely situation to the next. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Philippe Noiret, Ugo Tognazzi, (more)
- 1979
- R
A presumptuous American actress falls for a handsome Italian banker before embarking on the misadventure of a lifetime in this comedy of errors starring Goldie Hawn and Giancarlo Giannini. Anita (Hawn) is an American actress vacationing in Rome. When the free-spirited screen star sets her sights on a friendly banker named Guido (Giannini) who's currently en route to visit his ailing father, she agrees to join him on his trip without realizing that her handsome traveling companion is a married man. In the days that follow Anita and Guido will form a special bond as their journey together leads them from one comic disaster to the next. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Goldie Hawn, Giancarlo Giannini, (more)
- 1978
- R
This Italian black comedy is comprised of nine short stories all related to the theme that most men are selfish cads. At the 1978 Oscars, the film was nominated for Best Foreign film. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 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)
- 1976
In this episodic anthology, written and directed by assorted Italian filmmakers, the political and social aspects of Italian life are chronicled. In one satirical episode, The Bomb, a bogus bomb threat at a police headquarters gradually balloons into a real terrorist plot culminating with the bombing of the police commissioner. Other episodes satirize the CIA, Christmas in Naples and pompous public officials. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1976
- R
Michael is the younger son of a middle-class family, a strong-willed and free-thinking fellow, who is off in some distant country fighting for a revolutionary cause. Everyone in the family writes to him, describing the events of their lives, as they drift into a kind of conventionality which would perhaps have horrified them earlier. Only Michael's girlfriend Mara (Mariangela Melato), the mother of his child, retains her independence, even though it is through the help of Michael's increasingly conventional friends and family that she survives. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mariangela Melato, Delphine Seyrig, (more)
