Displaying items by tag: Cassino in Ischia movie

CASSINO IN ISCHIA

US, 2024, 115 minutes, Colour.

Dominic Purcell, Yvonne Scio, Jennifer Mischiati, Carlotta Natolie, Ugo Dighero..

Directed by Frank Ciota.

Response to this colourful visit to Italy, especially the beauties of Ischia, will certainly depend on the mood of the viewer. For those in a relaxed mood, there is a mixture of holiday, romance, some Italian farce situations and characters, but also some more serious themes. Those who prefer serious themes will have to live with the broad Italian comedy and focus on an action actor who is 53, not winning the awards that he used to, long alienated from his brother, running out of options for his career, and visiting Italy to reflect on his life.

There is also an appeal to cinema buffs, memories of Lucchino Visconti, whom the action actor had never heard of, some discussions about his films, some clips from Rocco and his Brothers, the finding of an unfinished manuscript in Visconti’s house, and a hack Italian director seeing it as his opportunity to make a comeback after a dismal response to one of his films at a film festival. He is supported by his wife and his daughter who wants to be an actress (and, after appearing in the film, decides not to be).

Dominic Purcell, born in England but growing up in Australia and appearing first in Australian film and television, then settling in the US and the continuous career of action films and television, is tough-looking, tough-sounding, but goes through a process whereby has to look into himself, his broken marriage, the alienation from his brother, what he is to do after the age of 50. We see some filming of scenes, the scenario being Proust’s Memories of Time Lost, black-and-white photography, nods to Visconti, and the central character carrying his suitcase symbolic of his carrying his memories.

The Italian director, his family and entourage provide all the farcical situations. A local tour guide, glamorous, provides the potential for a romance. And, a Hollywood opportunity for the actor to revive his career, provides an opportunity for self reflection again, and the reconciliation with his brother (whom he promotes to assistant director for the finishing of the new Visconti -like film).

Dialogue is a mixture of the farcical and the serious, giving Dominic Purcell opportunities to be dramatic at times, several times weeping. But, the Italians move from English to Italian at the drop of a cue.

Many will enjoy it. Some will look down on it. But it is something of a mixumgatherum, well expressed by Zeoisme, October 2024, IMDb:

The main problem is that the Euro-Italian acting style doesn't translate into an American English language movie. All the stock Italian tropes were mostly redundant in this hybrid. Mamas, food, mistaken identities, comedy of errors, buffoons, bureaucratic over-reach and frequent weeping just didn't gel with the fairly decent basic story.