Blog coordinator Cheri Passell
Cinepanettone 2.0
While in Rome during the Christmas season it’s fun to spend time at the movie theater. There’s clearly a love/hate relationship with Italian Christmas movies (affectionately referred to as Cinepanettone in Italy) and the last few years in film are morphing into something that could be referred to as Cinepanettone 2.0.
A great example is one that comes from award-winning Paolo Genovese, the director of the Perfetti Sconoscuti (Perfect Strangers). His Una Famiglia Perfetta (A Perfect Family, 2012) is more of the ‘Bad Santa’ genre than of the ‘Natale a New York’ kind, and from the first scene in which “Papà” Leone, (played by Sergio Castellitto) tells the youngest son that he is fat, hates his glasses, and he says he doesn’t understand why he has to spend Christmas with a son who is so fat and ugly you’ll be horrified/mesmerized.
The trailer and reviews reveal that Leone, though abusive, is not an abusive parent, but rather an abusive employer. The wealthy and mysterious Leone has hired everybody in the house to play parts, pretending to be his “perfect family” for the holidays. A beautiful wife (Claudia Gerini), a loving mother, a brother (Marco Giallini), and children dote on Leone and are paid to do it, but it’s Leone’s way or the highway.
This dark comedy couldn’t be more different from Genovese’s films like Immaturi and Perfetti Sconosciuti, and is lots of fun at Christmas-time, or any time of the year.
Una Famiglia Perfetta – Directed by Paolo Genovese
Audiences in Italy went wild for the jokes in Ogni Maledetto Natale (Every damned Christmas, 2014), and the film is lots of fun with an amazing cast that plays duel roles as family members of both Massimo and Giulia, a couple newly in love. Marco Giallini, Valerio Mastandrea, Laura Morante, and Stefano Fresi play Giulia’s hillbilly relatives and then Massimo’s wealthy ones, camping it up in ways that you are bound to enjoy.
It’s love at first sight for Massimo and Giulia and they make a cute couple, but they have baggage. We all do.
Maybe they should have waited a couple a little longer to open it and show each other, and maybe they shouldn’t have done it on Christmas, if ever.
Massimo knew better; he told Giulia that Christmas was the “scariest time of year” and that he wanted to spend it alone, but Giulia’s cute pouty face eventually won him over, so off he went to the mountains to meet the Colardo family. She seems like such a normal girl but when you meet her folks for the first time, you’d better be prepared.
How did this sweet girl come from this “rustic” family? And why did Giulia think it was a good idea to bring Massimo home with no prior explanation of what was going on out there? Bottom line, pretty girls can get away with stuff like that.
Ogni Maledetto Natale – Directed by Luca Vendruscolo, Giacomo Ciarrapico, Mattia Torre
One of our favorite Christmas movie is the adorable comedy, La Banda Dei Babbi Natale (The Santa Claus Gang, 2010). Also directed by Paolo Genovese, it stars the bumbling comedy trio Aldo, Giovanni and Giacomo playing three friends dealing with problems in their personal lives. When they get confused with burglars that dress as Santa Claus – Babbo Natale – and they spend Christmas eve at the police station trying to prove their innocence. The police investigator is played by Angela Finocchiaro who really shows off her comedy chops, conversely frustrated and amused and just wanting to book these guys and get home for Christmas. “Just what kind of *** gang are you, anyway?” she asks them.
Warm and fuzzy Christmas feelings are guaranteed with this one.
Do you have a favourite Italian Christmas Movie? Share it with us!
La Banda dei Babbi Natale – Directed by Paolo Genovese
