I liked this movie beyond any expectations I had, and they were high as the film is directed by one of my favorite directors, Ferzan Ozpetek, so I was expecting the best. I got an excellent film with a strong or compelling story, great performances, and a Turkish born director that seems to understand Italians more than some of his contemporary colleagues, as this is a drama where main and secondary characters are not only important for the story but also have something to say, hide, or are the kind we should be careful of when near them as all are true loose cannons, as the English title clearly says.
A movie is a drama but also a farce, is tragic, and has extraordinary comedy at the correct time (gee, did I laugh loud?) and yes, there is gay interest, but honestly, even if it is essential to the story told, I feel it is not the main theme as this film is a very interesting exploration into human behavior of the good and not-so-good kind.
It’s not easy to tell you what it’s all about without giving away crucial moments that will surprise you, make you nervously laugh, or get your reactions, but I’ll try, as you should watch this film without knowing much about the story. It tells the story of the Cantone family, who are a large extended family living in one big house in Lecce, where they own a large pasta factory.
Younger son Tomasso, who lives in Rome, returns for a visit and decides to tell them that he’s gay to avoid being forced to assume his responsibilities at the family business as he’s only interested in becoming a writer and staying in Rome, where he’s able to be away from his family and the little town gossip and homophobia.
The Cantone family plus friends are having a fun dinner, and Tomasso decides that’s the right moment to tell all his secrets, but his older brother Antonio, whom he told before, stops him from making an announcement. Antonio’s news is the trigger for a true roller coaster ride into the lives of the Cantone family, which includes Tomasso’s grandmother, father, mother, aunt, brother, sister, brother-in-law, and nieces, plus the maids, the father’s mistress, his friends from Rome, and Alba, an eccentric young beautiful woman that also works at the factory in a high position.
Excellent performances by all actors’ that superbly perform sharp dialogues with fantastic expressions in a script co written by Ozpetek and in a film with impeccable cinematography plus tech specs; but most impressive, even when by now it is a given for me, are Ferzan Ozpetek’s outstanding filmmaking abilities that with this film show excellent comedy timing and true delicate care of all his characters. Bravo!!!
The film collected many honors, including a Special Jury Mention at Tribeca 2010 and many Italian honors, and it is nominated for the People’s Award at the 2010 European Awards. Mention honors because I do believe that this film is superior in every cinematic element to the actual Italy submission to the 2010 Oscar; maybe because the story is about homosexuality, those in charge of selection decided not to choose this magnificent film. If I’m right, then it is a true shame that they didn’t follow Peru’s example, but it is understandable as this film shows Italians homophobic reactions.
I highly recommend this film if you enjoy talkie European good movies. It is definitively a must-see for those that follow Ozpetek’s oeuvre and for those that enjoy the gay interest genre.
