In the North of Italy, overshadowed by the majestic Alps lies a desolate little town. A small scattering of houses, logging warehouses, shopping malls and neon signs are bisected by a busy motorway.
It’s here where Rino raises his son Cristiano. Rino is an angry man, a rebel and a racist who likes to drink and raise hell. To many, he is a brute and a loser, but to Cristiano he is everything. He is his spiritual guide, his rock and his teacher. Together they do all they can to keep the ‘family’ united under constant threat from social services to separate them. Their love is as unconventional as it is formidable.
Their only friend is Quattro Formaggi, who, ever since his accident on the quarry lives in a world of his own. He has built an imaginary kingdom inside his apartment recycling old furniture into new friends. His affection is shared between Rino who is his sole protector and a father figure and Ramona Superstar, the porn actress on screen.
When Quattro Formaggi believes that Cristiano’s girlfriend is his beloved Ramona Superstar, he begins stalking her. His obsession sets in motion a tragic chain of events that leaves all three men entangled in a dangerous web of destiny. Is the powerful bond between them enough to save them?
Gabrielle Salvatores’ (I’m Not Scared) film is a powerful and ultimately uplifting thriller and a touching portrait of an unconventional family and masculine affection.
Gabriele Salvatores (born July 30, 1950), is an Italian Academy Award-winning film director and screenwriter.
Born in Naples, Salvatores debuted as a theatre director in 1972, founding in Milan the Teatro dell’Elfo, for which he directed several avant-garde pieces until 1989.
In that year, he directed his first feature film, Marrakech Express, which was followed in 1990 by Turné. Both films shared a group of actor-friends, including Diego Abatantuono and Fabrizio Bentivoglio, who will be present in many of his later movies. Turné was screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1990 Cannes Film Festival.
In 1991, Salvatores received great international praise for Mediterraneo, which won an Academy Award as best foreign film. It also won three David di Donatello, the most important award for Italian cinema, and a Silver Ribbon.
In 1992, he released Puerto Escondido, from the eponymous novel by Pino Cacucci, in which Abatantuono and Bentivoglio were joined… read more
My DVD review: http://journeys-italy.blogspot.it/2013/03/come-dio-comanda-as-god-commands-2008.html
I saw this film last night at the Italian Film Festival in LA and was
deeply disappointed. I’m a huge fan of bleak, minimalist cinema and in
theory this movie, with its hand-held aesthetic… read review
