Displaying items by tag: Fabrizio Bentivoglio

THE INVISIBLE WITNESS/ IL TESTIMONE INVISIBILE

Italy, 2018, 102 minutes, Colour.

Riccardo Scamarcio, Miriam Leone, Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Maria Paiatto, Sara Cardineletti.

Directed by Stefano Mordani.

It should be noted first that this is a detailed remake of the Spanish thriller, Contratiempo, released two years earlier. Critics have praised the Spanish film as superior to the Italian remake.

However, many audiences will come to the Italian film without having seen the Spanish version.

This is a drama about a successful businessman from Milan, wife and daughter, successful enterprises, but entangled with the mistress and involved with her death. Then arrested for murder.

One of the benefits of the film is that popular Italian actor, Riccardo Scamarcio plays the central role. While action is in the present, especially when the businessman meets his lawyer, a strong-minded older woman who challenges his explanations at every step, there are many flashbacks to his basic situation, his family life, travelling with his mistress, a car accident on a highway in the countryside, a witness, and the behaviour of the couple, the disposing of the body…

In the later part of the film, the story is told from the perspective of the dead woman, the audience having to retrace the steps, and with an entirely opposite explanation of the scenario.

And the psychological impact is strengthened when the audience is introduced to the parents of the young man who was killed in the car accident – and revelations about their involvement in the investigation and prosecution of the businessman. And, to the surprise of most audiences, a revelation about the lawyer.

This reviewer has not seen the Spanish version. But, this Italian treatment of the story is interesting and intriguing.

1. The title? The crimes, reconstructions, explanations, the range of potential invisible witnesses?
2. The setting, the city and offices, homes, the luxury hotel in the mountains, interiors, the highways, forests and lakes, atmosphere? The musical score?
3. A remake of a Spanish film, close use of the original screenplay? Italian perspective?
4. The complexity of the screenplay, audience attention? The basic situation, the death of Laura and Adriano accused, the accident on the highway and the cover-up? The interconnections?
5. Adriano and his character, professed love for his wife and children, his relationship with Laura, the business deals and money? His arrest, accusation for the murder of Laura? Paolo and his legal aid, the phone calls? The hiring of Virginia?
6. Virginia, strong character and presence, not having lost cases, the discussions with Adriano, testing him, giving alternatives, his contradicting himself, his fears, confidence, the power of gradually persuading him to tell the truth? The relationship between them, intense interactions? Her skills, phone calls, information about witnesses, anonymous, the DA? The discussion about the accident, the flashbacks, what happened, Laura and the family, the dead man, framing him for robbery? Building up the support for Adriano, her getting him to tell the truth, contradict himself, her suggesting the opposite scenarios? The final revelation of who she was, the literal unmasking? The real Virginia arriving at the end?
7. The situation of the accident, Adriano meeting with Laura, the respective spouses, the deceit, not in Paris? The rendezvous? Driving, the deer, the driver crashing, the decisions, from Laura’s perspective, her taking charge, the driver passing by, her concealing the body, the blood, taking the wallet? Leaving Adriano to dispose of the body, in the woods, his sensing someone present, the car in the lake? And Virginia’s later reversing the scenario and its being visualised, Adriano and his initiative, Laura in fear?
8. The story of Laura, the breakdown, Tommaso passing by, offering to help, going to his house, his fixing the car, meeting his wife, the story of his son? Laura’s realisation? Her leaving? The consequences, her husband, the meeting with Adriano, the remote hotel, the scenario of her death, the possibilities for Tommaso following, killing her, framing Adriano? The later possibility of Adriano having murdered Laura?
9. The character of Tommaso, love for his son, relationship with his wife, his presence, at the hotel, the revelation of the apartment opposite, an invisible witness, watching, he and his wife setting up Adriano and Laura? With the police, the interrogations?
10. The complexity by the end of the film, the possible scenarios, Adriano and guilt, Laura and guilt, the revelation of the real identity of Virginia? The husband and wife pursuing Adriano?
11. The end, the audience taking stock of what they had seen, responsibilities, characters, deceptions, the future?

AN ALMOST ORDINARY SUMMER/ CROCE & DELIZIA

Italy, 2019, 100 minutes, Colour.

Fabrizio Bentivoglio, Alessandro Gassman, Jasmine Trinka, Filippo Scicchitano, Lunetta Savino, Anna Galiena.

Directed by Simone Godano

With such an English title, the audience anticipates how the summer will not be ordinary.

The film opens with the family joy, father and sons and daughter-in-law, pregnant, all driving off cheerfully to a summer holiday, finding the setup rather inadequate and complaining. The holiday centre is owned by a wealthy man who is celebrating his birthday and his daughters and various relations turning up.

So far, so expected.

However, there is a much more serious theme underlying the farcical aspects of the holiday. The owner of the mansion, Toni, veteran actor Fabrizio Bentivoglio, announces his intended marriage ceremony with Carlo, the father of the holidaying family, veteran actor Alexxandro Gassman.

Needless to say, the rest of the film is about the variety of reactions to this announcement, the film establishing the characters of the two older men, their meeting, the longtime partnership, each of them with family, but finding something in each other, especially the older man finding a genuine humanity in the widower, Carlo.

And, needless to say, there will be hostility to the wedding. It comes from Carlo’s son, Sandro, who reacts very badly, respecting his father but disagreeing with him. And there is hostility from Toni’s daughter, Penelope, Jasmine Trinka, who says that she campaigned and marched for gay marriage rights but does not want this for her father. She and Sandro team together to undermine the wedding.

What follows is holiday joy, family upsets, the arrival of Penelope’s mother, played by veteran Anna Galienay and, different attitudes, different understandings, an issue of Sandro’s younger brother, Diego, and whom he will stay with.

There are some very strong scenes, especially with Penelope’s panic attack and her being helped by Carlo.

There is some alienation, some reconciliation, and some happy sequences during the final credits of the wedding celebrations.

1. An Italian comedy with a serious theme? The history of the legislation on gay marriages? In Italy? 21^st-century perspective?
2. The title, irony, on holidays and summer, at the water, holiday homes, carnivals, picnics, activities…? The musical score?
3. The location, the coast, the beach, the holiday accommodation, the touch of the primitive, the mansion and the interiors?
4. The focus on the family, loud, all together in the car, travelling to the holiday, the music and song? Arrival, the primitive conditions, toilet and shower, complaints? Settling in?
5. The establishing of the family, Carlo as the patriarch, widower, his relationship with Sandro, Sandro’s wife, the younger brother, Diego, working class background?
6. The mansion, Toni as the patriarch, wealth, lifestyle, Olivia and her arriving, spoiled movie star, Penelope arriving late, bumping the car, self-assured, the presence of the hunt and her boyfriend, Toni’s birthday, the meal?
7. Toni and the tensions with his daughter’s, his never marrying, the long partnership, the other children, journeys to France, Olivia’s birth, arrival in Italy? Penny as his daughter, yet the tension between them?
8. The situation: Toni announcing the wedding, the reactions, Olivia, the aunt and the boyfriend tolerant? Penny, her comments about campaigning for gay marriage but her not wanting this for her father? Carlo, wanting to find the time to tell his family, hesitating, Toni and Carlo together, Sandra seeing them, his violent reaction?
9. Stances about the marriage, in three weeks? The two men explaining the background, Carlo and his meeting Toni at the hospital, talking, the meal together, kindred spirits? It is a completely different backgrounds, lifestyles? Carlo appreciating the older man? Toni admiring the inner depth of Carlo, sympathy and understanding?
10. Audience response to the announcement, for or against the marriage, siding with the couple, siding with Penelope and Sandro?
11. The comic situations, the serious situation? Penelope, her scheming, talking with Sandro, stopping the family leaving, wanting to undermine the relationship? The various stages, collaboration, developing and her problems, the advance on Sandro, his wife seeing it, the upset?
12. The meals, the picnics, the couple together, the ups and downs, the barbecue, Carlo dancing, everybody joining in except Sandro? The joy of everybody dancing?
13. The issue of Diego, young, to live with the couple? Sandro and his reaction? Sandro and his relationship with his wife, her pregnancy? Diego, the youngsters going to the carnival, their being lost, Carlo blaming Toni? The morning aftermath, explanations? Carlo and his decision that he would discuss the situation with Diego? Diego, young, the attraction to the young French girl, lovelorn, his father’s wise advice? Carlo coming to getting from Sandro, the going off together?
14. The arrival of Penelope’s mother, not a marriage, her work in fashion, the plot to undermine the wedding, yet her encounter with Carlo, sympathetic, change of heart? Penelope’s disappointment?
15. The confrontation, Sandra’s reaction, his wife’s reaction, Penelope’s humiliation, unable to breathe, the panic attack, Carlo and his sympathy, helping her to breathe, driving her, the frank talk, Penelope explaining her father’s ignoring of her?
16. Carlo, going away, fishing? Toni, wanting to find him? Penelope helping, Sandro on the boat, meeting on the boat (despite the crew calling out about packets), the reconciliation – all round?
17. The final credits, the ceremony, everybody joining in the celebration?
18. The status of gay marriage in Italian society with its religious traditions?