Marriage Italian Style

Virtuoso director and actor Vittorio De Sica, who crafted such all-time Italian neorealist classics as Bicycle Thieves (1948) and Umberto D. (1952), using keenly observed melodramatic Italian behavior and characters, pulls us into a hilarious darkly comic story in 1960s Italy. 

When Filumena (Sophia Loren) collapses on the Neapolitan bakery floor where she works and is rushed off through the streets of Naples by a distraught close-knit community of supporters, they call for the shop owner who is also her lover, Domenico (Marcello Mastroianni). While seemingly on her death bed, she asks him to summon the priest. Worried that she may die, Domenico now reflects on their turbulent love affair. So begins Marriage Italian Style (1964), now in a gorgeous newly restored 4K print.

De Sica has subtly shaded this classic romantic comedy with a strong humanist message. Its potent and honest observations about how the wealthy, who feel superior and entitled, getting away with unethical behavior, ignoring society’s moral code and looking down on those less educated while treating them with disdain, is still relevant today.  

The story of a wealthy vain businessman, Domenico, and a beautiful illiterate country girl, Filumena, is pure operatic romance. When they first meet in a brothel during a W.W. II air raid in German occupied Italy, it’s a tender moment heightened by fear and danger that they will never forget. After the war they meet again and become occasional lovers while she continues to work as a prostitute. Eventually she convinces him to buy her an apartment so she can leave the sex trade and he puts her to work in his bakery as she becomes his mistress. 

When years later she catches on that the man she loves is about to marry someone else and is using her while continuing to have younger lovers, she, backed by supporters, schemes a revenge plot that will trick him into marrying her. But when the plot fails she reveals to him that she’s had three kids that he never knew about.

Fearing another trick, he refuses to believe her story and callously sends her away after annulling the marriage. But soon he becomes curious about her children and discovers that one of them is his son, but Filumena will not tell him which one for fear of alienating the other two children. She believes they must be treated equally and he must accept all or none if he wants to be with her.

Based on the 1946 play Filumena Marturano by celebrated Italian poet, author, playwright and actor Eduardo de Filippo, the message becomes clear; all children must be equally loved by their parents who often unfairly favor one with privileges not extended to the others. This dictum can also be applied to the treatment of people in general under the law, the state and by people like the conceited Domenico. 

Power and money corrupts absolutely. It’s an age-old problem that no one is immune to no matter how charming they may seem. But the power of the Italian matriarch to keep moral and family ties strong under the most difficult circumstance eventually triumphs over the selfish male ego. 

Marriage Italian Style masterfully blends plenty of playful humor between one of the greatest onscreen chemistries of Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni with cutting political critique, achieving a stimulating memorable film experience. 

The final scenes are poetically depicted and precise. Finally taking responsibility, inspired by her strength and moral convictions, Domenico’s eyes and mind have opened and he agrees wholeheartedly to do the right thing.

JP

AMY

AMY, Asif Kapadia’s devastating new documentary about UK’s silky voiced, troubled jazz diva Amy Winehouse is a revealing eye opener and disturbing look at a genuine natural born talent.  

The first revelation when watching the story of Amy unfold, is when we realize the truly extraordinary musical ability coming out of this happy spontaneous teenage girl from a broken home with big eyes and a broad smile.

Amy was gifted with not only a soulful sultry voice but music just seems to radiate from her body. Whatever came into her head manifested itself spontaneously into natural poetic lyrics that seemed to be coming out of a much older and seasoned professional.

The public was instantly turned on to her haunting smoky voice and soulful lyrics which were deeply affecting and mirrored the struggles in her personal life. Watching Amy as she grows as an artist and gains in fame, it seemed she was living a dream that quickly turned into a nightmare.

The second shocking revelation from watching this documentary is how fast Amy descends into a downward spiral due to her extremely obsessive personality and volatile emotional issues, reacting strongly to problems that start to surface in her dysfunctional relationships with her father and boyfriend. 

The very traits that made her such an exceptional artist are the same traits that also brought about her self-destruction. As the money train continued to gain velocity, no one, including the people closest to her, was willing or able to put on the brakes when a crash seemed imminent. 

Powerful and heartbreaking, this is a must-see documentary that gives insight into a huge vocal talent and how our toxic dollar driven, celebrity obsessed society allowed such a young vulnerable life to be cut short in such an untimely and uncaring manner. She was like a modern day Mozart who was unaware of the effect her genuine creative ability had on people and was taken aback by the overwhelming reaction of the media and her fans. 

Even if you’ve never heard of Amy Winehouse, you will be captivated by this authentic passionate young gem caught in a turbulent sea of bad influences. Her father Mitch, who abandoned her mother after a longtime affair with another woman when Amy was very young, and her cocaine addicted boyfriend Blake were among her biggest influences; both were getting a free ride on the runaway success of Amy’s early albums and were blind to Amy’s emotional needs and psychological problems.

British born director Asif Kapadia, who also produced the celebrated documentary SENNA (2010) about Brazilian Formula One race car driver Ayrton Senna, and grew up in the same North London area where Amy lived, insisted on full creative control over the project. 

With access to some very personal and intimate archival footage of Amy he skillfully blends interview footage of her friends and family into a visually innovative chronicle of the deeply troubled singer/song writer as she rises from fun loving local prodigy to an international sensation. 

Amy like Ayrton was a singular talent, a mesmerizing young sensitive individual who could live no other way than where her heart and ability lead her. Their greatest strength also became their greatest weakness. They both died tragically. Amy was a great loss and her voice will live on in her songs but there are important lessons to be learned here about the negative effects of too much fame too soon.

JP