Roman e il suo cucciolo, Roman and his cub Alexandro Gassman

The Italian actor and model Alesandro Gassman has confirmed that he will direct his first feature film ”Roman e il suo cucciolo” directly translated ”Roman and his cub” however it is known in the English-speaking world as ”Cuba and his Teddy Bear” based on a book by Reinaldo Povoda, it featured Robert de Niro in his first stage role back in 1986 in New York. Yes, lady’s I know the photo is a little risqué however with Hunziker on the blog, I though I would even the score a wee bit. ”Roman e il suo cucciolo” is about two immigrants; an unpleasent odious father and his relationship with his own son, Alexandro feels the movie deep inside him and will be able to really focus on the actors in the film. I understand the cast to be : Alessandro Gassman, Manrico Gammarota, Sergio Meogrossi, Giovanni Anzaldo, Matteo Taranto, Natalia Lungu and Andrea Paolotti they will all be trying to transfer the magic of the Theatre stage to the magic of the Cinema screen, when they start the shooting in Spring 2012. Alexandro Gassman is an actor with many TV and feature films behind him, his most resent was Basilicata coat to coast directed by Rocco Papaleo and also Il padre e lo straniero, The Father and the Foreigner directed by Ricky Tognazzi a versatile actor, who I think has his looks and modeling career against him, it is not only women that suffer such a backlash.

Hollywood, Basilicata and a big Coppola

Rumors are running wild in Basilicata, well actually they are running riots in Hollywood, Paris and most of Italy too. The wedding of the year “mach 2” will take place in Bernalda, August 2011, preparations are on the way and I am sure the bridemaids are all to be found in a Gym doing Pilatus. Who is getting married? Well, the director of “Somewhere” last years winner of the Golden Lion, Sophia Carmina Coppola and her long time companion the French singer Thomas Mars from the indie group Phoenix, they have been together for 9 years producing 2 children. The knot will be tied in Bernalda from where her grandfather immigrated back in 1904, he incidentally invented the videophone that was patented and purchased by Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Sophia Coppola’s famous father Francis Coppola is one of Americas biggest director and producers, you are bound to have seen The Godfather One, two and Three, Apocalypse Now, Black Beauty and many others, he received a “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the ceremony of this years Oscars, Sophia comes from a sturdy stock of film makers, no one can argue with that. Sophia and Thomas visited Bernalda back in 2008 and it is understood that he asked her to marry him while inside Palazzo Margherita…..I know, who said romance was dead ? Palazzo Margherita was purchased by the Coppola Family many years ago and restored to the highest spec, a beautiful setting for a wedding ceremony, we know this as many scenes from “Somewhere” were shot inside the palazzo. Will the “I do” be said in the surrounding gardens to the tune of Lisztomania, I think that is a wait and see for now. There will be an influx of  Hollywood stars, French stars and the odd Italian movie icon for sure, Nicholas Cage is Sophia’s  cousin, Al Pacino a close friend of the family as is Steven Spielberg and Sly Stalone … what about Jackie Stalone will she be there doing her Rumpology readings after the service, I am sure the guest list will read like an international who’s who, I am getting excited and will have a look at eBay for that special hat, just encase .

The nominations for David di Donatello 2011 (and winners)

I am unimpressed and cannot possibly see how Noi Credevamo, We Believed could receive 13 nominations, how I ask is it possible ? I shall have to have words in the oracles ear like, this is a very confusing side of  Cinema Italiano, I blame drugs and alcohol for such odd choices. As for Marco Bellocchio being up for Best Director with Sorelle mai, Sisters Mai is just pure “Silliness” it was a terrible production.

I am very pleased to see Giuseppe Battiston in La passione, The Passion up for best supporting actor, he was brilliant and should win hands down. I shall update you in another blog with a list of much better films although it will alter nothing, it might help me solve the puzzle that is Noi Credevamo, We Believed and its popularity with the David di Donatello organisers.

Here are a list of nominations for this years David di Donatello:

Best Film :

Basilicata coast to coast

Benvenuti al Sud, Welcome to the  South

Noi credevamo , We Believed  WON

La nostra vita, Our life

Una vita tranquilla, A Quiet Life.

Best Director:

Marco Bellocchio per Sorelle mai, Sisters Mai

Saverio Costanzo per The Solitude of Prime Numbers, The Solitude of Prime Numbers

Claudio Cupellini per Una vita tranquilla , A Quiet life –

Michelangelo Frammartino per Le quattro volte, The Four Times

Paolo Genovese per Immaturi, The Juveniles

Daniele Luchetti per La nostra vita, Our Life  WON

Mario Martone per Noi credevamo, We Believed

Luca Miniero per Benvenuti al Sud, Welcome to the  South

Best Director Newcomer :

Aureliano Amadei per 20 Sigarette , 20 Cigarettes

Massimiliano Bruno per Nessuno mi può giudicare, No One Can Judge Me

Edoardo Leo per Diciotto anni dopo ,Eighteen years later

Rocco Papaleo per Basilicata coast to coast  WON

Paola Randi per Into Paradiso

Best Screenplay :

Rocco Papaleo e Valter Lupo per Basilicata coast to coast

Paolo Genovese per Immaturi, The Juveniles

Mario Martone e Giancarlo De Cataldo per Noi credevamo, We Believed  WON

Sandro Petraglia e Stefano Rulli e Daniele Luchetti per La nostra vita, Our Life

Filippo Gravino e Guido Iuculano e  Claudio Cupellini per Una vita tranquilla, A Quiet life.

Best Actress:

Paola Cortellesi per Nessuno mi può giudicare, No One Can Judge Me  WON

Sarah Felberbaum per Il gioiellino, The Little Germ

Angela Finocchiaro per Benvenuti al Sud, Welcome to the  South

Isabella Ragonese per La nostra vita, Our Life

Alba Rohrwacher per La solitudine dei numeri primi, The Solitude of Prime Numbers

Best Actor:

Antonio Albanese per Qualunquemente, Whatsoeverly

Claudio Bisio per Benvenuti al Sud, Welcome to the  South

Elio Germano per La nostra vita, Our Life   WON

Vinicio Marchioni per 20 Sigarette, 20 Cigarettes

Kim Rossi Stuart per Vallanzasca gli angeli del male, The Angles of Evil

Best Supporting Actress :

Barbora Bobulova per La bellezza del somaro, Love and Slaps

Valeria De Franciscis Bendoni per Gianni e le donne, The Salt of Life

Anna Foglietta per Nessuno mi può giudicare , No One Can Judge Me

Valentina Lodovini per Benvenuti al Sud, Welcome to the  South  WON

Claudia Potenza per Basilicata coast to coast

Best Supporting Actor:

Giuseppe Battiston per La passione,The Passion WON

Raoul Bova per La nostra vita , Our Lives

Francesco Di Leva per Una vita tranquilla , A Quiet Life

Rocco Papaleo per Nessuno mi può giudicare, No One Can Judge Me

Alessandro Siani per Benvenuti al Sud, Welcome to the  South

Best Director of Cinematography:

Vittorio Omodei Zorini per 20 Sigarette, 20 Cigerettes

Luca Bigazzi per Il gioiellino, The Little Germ

Renato Berta per Noi credevamo, We Believed  WON

Fabio Cianchetti per La solitudine dei numeri primi, The Solitude of Prime Numbers

Arnaldo Catinari per Vallanzasca gli angeli del male, The Angles of Evil.

Best Music score :

Rita Marcotulli e Rocco Papaleo per Basilicata coast to coast  WON

Umberto Scipione per Benvenuti al Sud , Welcome to the  South

Teho Teardo per Il gioiellino, The Little Germ

Fausto Mesolella per Into Paradiso

Hubert Westkemper per Noi credevamo, We Believed.

Best Film from the EEC :

Another Year

The Kings Speech   WON

In a Better World

Il segreto dei suoi occhi

Men of God.

Best Foreign Language Film:

Black Swan

La donna che canta

Hereafter   WON

Inception

The Social Network

Un giorno della vita,

Director: Giuseppe Papasso’s first feature film. It was released in Italy January 2011 with some good reviews, it is likely to do very well at International Film Festivals if it gets a change. There are no foreign dates or title as yet . I am throughout the film reminded of  Io non ho paura, I am not scared directed by Gabriele Salvatores  2004.

Best moment:  Salvatore confession, a brave little boy.

Worst moment : The shots are often only showing part of  an actors face, I find that annoying .

Cast: Amedeo Angelone, Matteo Basso,  Mia Benedetta, Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Alessandro Haber, Ernesto Mahieux.

Synopsis : We are in the beautiful countryside of Basilicata in 1964. Salvatore , age 12 and friends are loving the cinema and often enter without paying, seeing films not exactly for their age group such as La dolce vita. They have no money and Salvatore who has seen an advert for a projector starts planning a robbery . Salvatore’s father a communist is not happy with his sons interest in all things cinema and does what he can to discourage it, he want his son to be more involved in the communist party. The party is off to Rome by bus for the funeral of Yalta Palmiro Togliatti, they have collected a lot of money and Salvatore ceases the chance to take the money and buy the projector. They start a film club in the local  church however his conscience gets the better of him and he confesses his crime, serving years in a  Correction Centre. The children all first time actors are very good and Salvatore is excellent and gives a detached performance only broken when speaking with great animation about cinema.