LA GRANDE BELLEZZA

Right, it is true, it too obvious, but yeah, I can’t avoid mentioning the Oscar prizes.

While Europe is witnessing signs of war at its eastern corner, while Venezuela is still in a state of turmoil, in few weeks Italy, the underperforming Italy, the unreliable Italy, changed government, increased, apparently,  speed in decision making, tackled priority governance issues and stirred towards some sort of resurrection from the austerity and the default. Above all, won an Oscar Prize.

Paolo Sorrentino

This will make us believe for few weeks that we are efficient, commpetitive and creative at the same time, and this maybe is true.

Last week Matteo Renzi, Italy’s youngest ever prime minister, made a  speech that “was long on rhetoric and ambitious in reach but with a lack of detail that disappointed even his coalition partners“, made a speech that may have sound shallow to the politicians in the Senate, made a speech that was understandable, clear and straigth to the problem of the country, at least for the laymen that were following it on the public webstreaming. Mr. Renzi mentioned Altiero Spinelli, the role of Italy in the EU, the reinassance that should start from education, the repayment of unpaid government debts to private firms…somehow I preferred to talk about key issues that a family, a community a society, a nation needs to carry on rather than the technicalities to get there. Well I hope we’ll get there.

THE NEW YORKER About Matteo Renzi

While Mr. Renzi was getting organised with the governement team,ere it comes the Oscar night, that is, for us Italian that believe we are great filmakers (yes we are) like carnival or new year’eve.

The parallel I can make about Sorrentino and Renzi (and me) is that they (we) are all form the same generation (I’m the older) Sorrentino is 43 and Renzi 39.  It maybe possible that a generation of well educated, maybe spoiled, teenagers of the ’80’s created men and women that are moved by principles and dreams, willing to face failure rather than compromise, seeking to reach an ideal rather than the day-to-day result? This is my guess, my hope.

Let’s go back to movies; Italy won 5 Oscar prizes in the decade 1948-1958, other 5 in between 1964 and ’75, that led our parents to think that if you don’t get an Oscar prize every 2 years you are not good anymore at moviemaking. Then, nothing more happened for 15 years (actually, there were several nominees) until the ’90, with NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO and MEDITERRANEO (’92).

In ’99 LA VITA E’ MERAVIGLIOSA won the best music,best actor and best movie. Not like a foreign movie!! Like a real one!!

So without to go too back in time I selected some picts and some best moments for these 3. If you have time use it to see them. Trust me.

NUOVO CINEMA PARADISO

 the naturally-talented Salvatore Cascio. 

Final scene, just a great scene

Trivia facts I: “the lady of the movie” was going in the same school of by girlfriend at that time

MEDITERRANEO

Lost in space and time on a greek island during the WWII

Monologue “one life is not enough”

Trivia facts II :Memo Dini (2nd from right) was a acting-gymnastic coach, one summer I made some training with him

Trivia facts III: what you see in the pict  above is indeed the landing line of the airport in Megisti/Kastellorizo (I was there)

LA VITA E’ BELLA

The father improvise a tranlsation not to scare the son 

No personal stories about this…

LA GRANDE BELLEZZA

the great beauty

the movie is out now, just enjoy it at the theatre, will not spoil it.

Trivia facts IV:  in 2009 Mr. Sorrentino directed a short movie:

LA PARTITA LENTA

Acting most of my rugby mates, I was in Bxls meanwhile. Aaah why I’m always in the wrong place!!