Solino (2002)

User Rating:

7.2/10   

Director:

Fatih Akin

Writer:

Ruth Toma (writer)

Release Date:

7 November 2002 (Germany)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy

Plot:

In the sixties Romano Amato, his wife Rosa and their two sons Giancarlo and Gigi emigrate from Solino...

Plot Keywords:

Pizza | Leukemia | Obscene Finger Gesture | Little Brother | Railway Station

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Christian Tasche	...	Jos Vater
Barnaby Metschurat	...	Gigi
Tiziana Lodato	...	Ada
Antonella Attili	...	Rosa
Moritz Bleibtreu	...	Giancarlo
Annika Schmitz	...	Jo Kind
Patrycia Ziolkowska	...	Jo
Nicola Cutrignelli	...	Gigi Kind
Michele Ranieri	...	Giancarlo Kind
Cesare Mele	...	Umberto Kind
Franco Iavarone	...	Alfredo (as Franco Javarone)
Pino Cacace	...	Carabiniere
Giuseppe Fernando Caputo	...	Rosas Vater
Rosa Di Brigida	...	Paola
Giuseppe De Rosa	...	Antonio

Runtime:

124 min | Germany:114 min (TV version)

Country:

Germany

Language:

German | Italian

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Argentina:13 | Australia:MA | Germany:12 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Zurich)

Filming Locations:

Apulia, Italy

Company:

Wüste Filmproduktion

Trivia:

Originally, the screenplay was set in Oberhausen. It was changed to Duisburg because the film team found several locations in Duisburg that had hardly changed since the 1960s. It seems that Duisburg city authorities were not happy to hear that.

Movie Connections:

References La caduta degli dei (1969)

Great Work

After Fatih Akins first work "Im Juli", which was fairly good, he created a really gorgeous italian family epic. Its a german movie, which is unfortunately a bad precondition, cause we rareley produce more than moderate movies ;). But this movie makes some very good snapshots of the time then. "Solino" is about a Italian immigrant who arrives in the "Ruhr" region of Germany during the 60s. The immigrant and his family then start the first Pizza restaurant in the region. The characters are excellent drawn. Especially Gigi, the main actor. You live every second, every feeling he does. His brother, played by Moritz Bleibtreu, isnt that good. Well, you just dont believe him the role. But the character is wellbalanced and fits perfectly into this script. I feel an urgent need to compare the style of this movie with the style of "The Godfather". Many people will probably hate this movie, say its boring. Not much tension? - yes, but an outrageous movie. 9 out of 10.