Renato Carpentieri Movies

An average Sicilian on the fast track to success within the Cosa Nostra becomes ever more disillusioned about his standing within the ranks of the brutal criminal underworld in director Andrea Porporati's character-driven crime drama. Saro Scordia (Lo Cascio) was just a young boy when his father was killed in a prison riot. In the wake of his tragic loss, Saro is soon taken under the wing of underworld figure Gaetano Butera (Tony Gambino) and shown all the benefits of being truly connected. Later, while Saro is serving a brief sentence behind bars, he makes the acquaintance of influential gangster Uncle Ciccu (Renato Carpentieri). It is this relationship proves especially fruitful for Saro once he returns to the streets, paving the way for a series of increasingly important jobs including a high profile bank job in Turin and a crucial hit in Milan alongside Ciccu's bumbling son Mimmo (Gaetano Bruno). Things soon threaten to fall apart, however, when the love-struck Saro falls deeply in love with the stunning Ada (Donatella Finocchiaro) - a strong willed woman who refuses to become a mafia wife. Though Saro dutifully marries a woman more accepting of his criminal lifestyle and begins raising a family as expected of him by his superiors, the brutality of the criminal lifestyle soon leads him to regret his decision to become an official "man of honor." ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Gianfranco Cabiddu directed this mockumentary on the life and loves of fictional Italian folk hero Tullio Saba (Fausto Siddi) -- miner, wedding singer, anti-fascist, unionist, and politician. Based on the book by Sergio Adtzeni, the faux documentary employed many non-professionals to portray Tullio's family, friends, and opponents. Shown at 1998 film fests (Venice, Rotterdam), the English language title of this film is The Son of Bakunin. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

The journey in this road movie begins in Sicily as Giovanni (Roberto De Francesco) heads for compulsory military service in Bolzano, near the Austrian border, although his cousin (Renato Carpentieri) wants him to skip out on military service so they can go into business together in Australia. Arriving early in Bolzano, Giovanni meets Loredana (Chiara Caselli) and follows her to Cortina where he runs out of money. His odyssey through life, love and friendships continues as he pushes onward through Tuscany, Rome, and Venice, eventually finding a freighter headed for Australia. Shown at the 1997 Venice Film Festival, this film is also known as Five Stormy Days. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

An alienated lonely fat man goes off the deep end in this Italian tragedy set in Naples. The man is Crecenzio, a portly meter reader who is first seen blowing up a building. The reasons for this drastic, desperate act provide the basis for the story, which is told in flashback. Up to the explosion, Crecenzio's life had been notable only for it's grimness. His brother Beniamino is as lively and charismatic as Crecenzio is depressive and withdrawn. Beniamino works in an electrical repair shop run by a corrupt, brutish businessman. He works with Giuliana, another alienated soul. Crecenzio has feelings for Giuliana, but she seems to return them out of pity and perhaps empathy rather than real affection. She also sets clear limits as to how much affection the lonely meter man can express to her. Anyway, Crecenzio is the least of Giuliana's worries as much of her time is spent fending off the advances of her boss. The employer becomes so insistent that Giuliana goes to Beniamino for help. This makes Crecenzio jealous and the brothers begin feuding, but the real trouble doesn't begin until Giuliana is finally raped by her boss. When the meter man learns of the violence, something inside of him finally snaps and soon he is caught up in a destructive maelstrom that has a greater effect than Crecenzio ever imagined. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Writer/director/actor Nanni Moretti offers a three-part film diary which takes a sharply satiric look at Italian life. ~ Nicole Gagne, All Movie Guide

Mario (Diego Abatantuono) is a gentle soul living in a big Italian city. He works as a bank teller. When his bank is robbed for the umpteenth time, and he sees yet another policeman killed, he throws in the towel on city life, and attempts to get away from it all by fleeing to a small town in Mexico. In this comedy, instead of getting away from the complications of big city life by moving to a backwater, he finds himself even more deeply embroiled in them. Things come to a head when he cop-killer he saw in Italy also winds up in Mexico. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide

In Fiorile (US title: Wild Flower), Italy's Taviani brothers once again dissect the manners and mores of the Tuscany region. The story is predicated on a 200-year-old family curse. During the Napoleonic era, Elizabetta "Fiorile" Benedetti (Galatea Ranzi) discovers that her own brother Corado (Claudio Bigagli) is responsible for the crime for which her lover Jean (Michael Vartan) was executed. The embittered Fiorile places a curse on the Benedetti family, declaring that none of her brother's direct descendants will ever achieve true happiness. Over the next two centuries, the Benedettis' ill-gotten wealth increases, but they lose the love and respect of their neighbors. In fact, most people prefer to call the Benedetti family the "Maledettis," or the Cursed Ones. The film's final episode occurs during World War II, as Grandpa Massimo Benedetti (Renato Carpentieri), the last family member directly affected by the curse, relates his tale of woe to a pair of youngsters. Will the curse die with Massimo, or will the innocent young ones be forced to carry it into the next generation? Fiorile is not the sort of movie one sits back and relaxes with, despite its leisurely pace; those willing to work with the film, however, will be amply rewarded. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The system established early in the days of the Roman Empire (whereby those who have a powerful patron prosper and no one without a patron can get anywhere) still exists in present-day Italy. Today, this system is given many pejorative labels and is classified as a form of corruption when it intrudes into the political process. In this satire, a schoolteacher (Silvio Orlandi) takes on an extra job as a way of paying for expensive repairs on his ancient home. His sideline job is as a ghostwriter for a political column supposedly written by a representative of a bizarre political party. As a result of this slight involvement, he becomes the favored darling of a series of political bigwigs and is increasingly embroiled in the schemes and rivalries of national politics. While his ethical life is being compromised, the politicians have arranged to have his home declared a national landmark, eligible for government funds for rebuilding, and his material circumstances have improved enormously. When he finally tries to set things right, he soon discovers that the system is rigged against honesty. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide