Mambo italiano (2003)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Émile Gaudreault

Writers:

Steve Galluccio (play)
Steve Galluccio (screenplay)

Release Date:

9 October 2003 (Slovenia)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

Things change. Family doesn't.

Plot:

The son of Italian immigrants to Canada struggles to find the best way to reveal to his parents that he's gay.

Plot Keywords:

Gay | Italian | Immigrant | Childhood Friend | Gay Interest

Awards:

11 nominations

Cast

Luke Kirby	...	Angelo Barberini
Ginette Reno	...	Maria Barberini
Paul Sorvino	...	Gino Barberini
Mary Walsh	...	Lina Paventi
Peter Miller	...	Nino Paventi
Claudia Ferri	...	Anna Barberini
Sophie Lorain	...	Pina Lunetti
Tim Post	...	Peter
Tara Nicodemo	...	Yolanda / Woman in Airplane / Jolene
Pierrette Robitaille	...	Rosetta
Dino Tavarone	...	Giorgio
Mark Camacho	...	Johnny Christofaro
Michel Perron	...	Father Carmignani
Lou Vani	...	Marco
Diane Lavallée	...	Mélanie

MPAA:

Rated R for language and sexual situations.

Runtime:

88 min | Canada:92 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:99 min | Argentina:92 min | UK:85 min

Country:

Canada

Language:

English | Italian | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Chile:Y7 | Canada:G (Quebec) | Germany:6 (f) | Argentina:13 | Canada:14A | Netherlands:AL | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Le Village Gai, Montréal, Québec, Canada

Company:

Cinémaginaire Inc.

Trivia:

Both the film and the play (which the film is based upon) are based on Steve Galluccio's own life and experiences.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In two shots, the Italian flag is shown back to front. On the television, and on the computer monitor the Italian flag is shown as red, white, and green. The colors of the flag are green, white, and red.

Quotes:

Peter: Angelo, if you can't have compassion for yourself, how you gonna have it for others?

Movie Connections:

References My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)

Soundtrack:

Return to Me

Very entertaining and fun!

This film is about a second generation Italian immigrant having to come to terms with the drastic consequences of coming out of the closet.

This film is unlike any other film I have seen. It is very fast paced, each subplot don't last for more than 1 minute. There is a lot of self narrative. It also shows intersecting events and scenes of relevant characters, which is unusual for a comedy.

The sets are visually rich and appealing, and are always colourful and carefully constructed. The character development is great, and we care about the characters in the film. The script is excellent. The neurotic sister is hilarious. The arguments of the parents are very lively and funny, and are entertaining to watch. The costumes are nice and trendy, but not over the top.

In summary, this film is a lot of fun, very entertaining, humorous, visually appealing, and there is something for everyone! The only gay scene is a half a second kiss, which certainly will not hinder its crossover appeal to the mainstream. This film deserves more recognition than it gets!