Displaying items by tag: Valentino Picone

PRIMO NATALE, IL, ONCE UPON A TIME IN BETHLEHEM

Italy, 2019, 100 minutes, Colour.

Salvatore Ficarro, Valentino Picone, Massimo Popolizio.

Directed by Ficarro and Picone.

Christmas cribs and Christmas pageants are popular everywhere. This time in Italy. And the work of the comedy duo, Salvatore Ficarro and Valentino Picone. Valentino Picone plays an Italian parish priest in a regional town, in the vein of a 20^th century Don Camillo. The plan is to have an elaborate crib, townspeople as live characters, finding animals, and a great number of comic auditions. In the meantime, Salvatore Ficarro plays the thief, auditioning for the role of Joseph, and stealing the statue of the infant Jesus.

The priest pursues the thief and, suddenly, they are transported back to the time of Jesus’ birth, a whole lot of adventures, help from a kindly family, passing themselves off to join the rebels, pursued by Herod’s special guards, arrested and tortured, the priest confessing to save his friend.

Looking for Mary and Joseph, they assist at a birth only to find it is the wrong couple! In fact, they do find the real Mary and Joseph, assist at the birth of Jesus, but find the real crib was simplicity itself. (And the priest is hoping that Mary will be able to provide a miracle that they can get back to the 21^st-century.)

The two play a variation on the Magi, Herod wanting information from them. They realise that Herod will pursue all the mothers – and they have made friends with a mother who has given birth. Thief and priest ride horses to mislead Herod and save the families who eventually are given passage on a boat by a friendly Sicilian. The thief falls in love and stays in the past. The priest is kissed by a fierce rebel warrior (and thief suggests he hurried to confession) goes with the families onto a ship, a vast storm, then the girl who effected the time travel appears and Valentino arrives back in his parish – and the plan to have a more real and simple crib.

1. A Christmas story, a Christmas pageant? Italian style?
2. The reputation of the stars, acting, comedy, direction?
3. The popularity of films with Christmas pageants? The recreation of the crib? Characters, animals, life ]-like…?
4. The thief, character, mannerisms, sly, the initial robbery, making money? Hoarding? The infant, auditioning as Joseph, stealing, Valentino chasing him?
5. Valentino, the Italian parish priest, touches of naive, with the parishioners, the Christmas pageant, the comedy of all the auditions, the parish assistant and her choices?
6. The little girl, an Angel, chasing the two into the desert, back 2000 years? Bewilderment? Their adventures, the repartee between them?
7. Finding the rebels, the family, the engagement, the poverty, the thief and his stealing the food, the celebration? The young couple, the leader, the pregnant woman, giving birth?
8. Herod, the satire, as King, pompous, seeking the advice of the Sage, the parallel with the Gospel story, the foreign strangers, getting information, the Sicilian, the pursuit of the families, at the edge of the sea, defeated? Sending his two guards to find the foreigners?
9. The Roman soldiers, Herod and his court, his advisor?
10. The rebels, tough, the battles?
11. The background of the Nativity story, Valentino and his expectations, a miracle from Mary to send them back, finding the couple, the wrong assumption, the wrong couple?
12. The warriors, the warrior intent on Valentino, the kiss? Joke about going to confession? Salvo, the young woman, the romance?
13. The various adventures, imprisoned, the torture, Valentino giving the information? To save Salvo?
14. Finding Mary and Joseph, the simplicity, just themselves, no animals, Mary giving birth? The reverent treatment of the actual Nativity?
15. Herod’s intentions, the killing of the children, rounding up families, the two and their riding to help, the Sicilian and his friendship, the boat, their all escaping, Herod frustrated?
16. The boat, the storm, the need of a miracle, Salvo and love, staying in the past? The young girl appearing, Valentino returning, and his new perspective on the Christmas pageant and crib?