Aprile (1998)

Nanni Moretti takes a comic look at the ebbs and flows of his life as he becomes a father for the first time. He struggles with distractions while trying to make a documentary of the Italian federal elections.

Director:

Nanni Moretti

Writer:

Nanni Moretti

Stars:

Nanni Moretti, Silvio Orlando, Silvia Nono

1 win & 7 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nanni Moretti	...	Himself
Silvio Orlando	...	Himself
Silvia Nono	...	Herself
Pietro Moretti	...	Himself
Agata Apicella Moretti	...	Herself
Nuria Schoenberg	...	Herself
Silvia Bonucci	...	Herself
Quentin de Fouchécour	...	Himself (as Quentin de Fouchecour)
Renato De Maria	...	Himself
Claudio Francia	...	Himself
Jacopo Francia	...	Himself
Matilde Francia	...	Herself
Daniele Luchetti	...	Himself
Giovanna Nicolai	...	Herself
Nicola Piepoli	...	Himself

Storyline

Nanni, a renowned director, is working on a musical when suddenly he has a change of heart and cancels the film on the first shooting day. He has a new idea, making a documentary about the Italian federal elections, but work isn't going very fast, much to the frustration of the crew. Nanni can't stop thinking, worrying and getting excited about the birth and early days of life of his newborn son, yet is torn by his sense of obligation to make the documentary.

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Plot Keywords:

life | politics | autobiographical | italy | fatherhood

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Genres:

Comedy

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Details

Country:

France Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

27 March 1998 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Abril

Filming Locations:

Rome, Lazio, Italy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bac Films, Canal+, La Sept Cinéma

Technical Specs

Runtime:

78 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Connections

References The Usual Suspects (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Why Wait"
Composed & Performed by Dámaso Pérez Prado (as Perez Prado)

User Reviews

Good Italian comedy but politically disappointing.

First of all I must admit I like all things Italian. Consequently, I laughed a lot, was moved, and obviously felt identified with the protagonist, director, factotum Moretti. But overall I felt this film was a political disappointment. If he were truly a political man, he could NEVER turn into musicals! Period.

Such a cleansed, ideologically perverse genre is incompatible with a) political conscience b) brains.

OK, we don't always want to "save the world" or discuss hefty topics (like French cinema), but I find musicals a distasteful, tacky aesthetic option. That is why I felt so disappointed with Nanni.

I feel he has the potential to be a great director, a "beacon" of intelligent but not haughty film-making. Like Woody Allen, for instance. (I saw Caro Diario twice on cinemas, in spite of his long "tempos" at "Islands"). Instead, he makes the jokes too long, overacts, is outright stupid when coming up with nonsense while "doing the documentary".

By the way, I'd LOVE a life in which "shooting a documentary" were "duty". I wonder what "pleasure" would have to be :)! The inclusion of his baby and family may serve his a purpose, but I found it irrelevant at best.

Overall, I would like him to be the powerful director who could shoot this scene with the ship full of Albanians and piano music, touching without pounding a "message".

I'm afraid he would rather take the "playful/ escapist" way. It is very common in people dedicated to "the arts" (even the most brilliant, like Woody). But very frustrating to "us, social scientists".

Whichever our "rank"!

Conclusion: "If I could", I would say to him THE SAME HE SAYS TO HIS political CANDIDATES when facing Berlusconi on TV: "React! Say something!"

A musical will never tell any moving human story, nor be beautiful.

Allen makes a GREAT missile/ pun on them in "Match Point" (when the silly wife loves them, and the couple goes just after he misbehave a bit . He deems them SO irrelevant you only hear it for a second :). THAT is intelligent cinema!