The Caiman (2006)
"Il caimano" (original title)

A skewering of Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.

Director:

Nanni Moretti

Writers:

Nanni Moretti (story), Heidrun Schleef (story),

Stars:

Silvio Orlando, Margherita Buy, Jasmine Trinca

13 wins & 17 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Silvio Orlando	...	Bruno Bonomo
Margherita Buy	...	Paola Bonomo / Aidra
Jasmine Trinca	...	Teresa
Michele Placido	...	Marco Pulici / Silvio Berlusconi
Giuliano Montaldo	...	Franco Caspio
Antonello Grimaldi	...	Direttore di Produzione
Paolo Sorrentino	...	Marito di Aidra
Elio De Capitani	...	Silvio Berlusconi
Tatti Sanguineti	...	Beppe Savonese
Jerzy Stuhr	...	Jerzy Sturovsky
Toni Bertorelli	...	Indro Montanelli
Matteo Garrone	...	Direttore della fotografia
Lorenzo Alessandri	...	Aiuto regista
Giancarlo Basili	...	Fritz Simmons, lo scenografo
Anna Bonaiuto	...	Pubblico Ministero

Storyline

Bruno Bonomo (Silvio Orlando) was a famous producer of b-movies in 70s; after a long hiatus, following the commercial fiasco of "Cataratte", Bonomo is going to be signed by RAI in order to produce a film about Cristoforo Colombo's homecoming. When the director Franco Caspio (Giuliano Montaldo) quits the project, Bonomo is forced to offer another screenplay to RAI, which is "Il Caimano" a screenplay he stumbled upon, written by the young director Teresa (Jasmine Trinca). The film-in-the-film is centered on the figure of Italy's prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, a subject so controversial that even the public television refuse to produce it. While Bonomo's private life collapses piece by piece, as he's divorcing from his wife (Margherita Buy), and the bank is pressing him hard to pay back his long-standing debts, he finds out that struggling to get this movie filmed is the only thing that keeps him alive.

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Plot Keywords:

minister | director | prime minister | media tycoon | ship | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

Bac Films [fr]

Country:

France Italy

Language:

Italian

Release Date:

24 March 2006 (Italy)

Also Known As:

The Caiman

Filming Locations:

Milan, Lombardia, Italy

Box Office

Opening Weekend:

$673,323 (Italy) (7 April 2006)

Gross:

$5,455,507 (Europe) (7 April 2006)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Sacher Film, Bac Films, Stéphan Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

112 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

As the movie was released just before the beginning of the 2006 Italian general election, the media and some politicians complained it could influence the voters' decision. In fact, the movie became one of the year's most successful movies in Italy, and 'Silvio Berlusconi' lost the election. Anyway, it seems to be hasty to claim this movie as a cause for the election's final results: some left wing people use to think that 'Il Caimano' gave to Berlusconi some decimal points in the election's stats.

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Connections

References Todo modo (1976)

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Soundtracks

"Ya Rayah"
Written and Performed by Rachid Taha

User Reviews

A machine gun movie

I watched the movie soon after it came out and was delighted to notice the soft touch the director succeeded in applying to so many heavy subjects: family, homosexuality, Italian current feeling, politics, balance between different powers. It seemed like the movie moved a machine gun over those different subjects without really wanting to hurt anyone, or not quite the most obvious targets. In fact women are showed as strong and hard but also a bit able to take life with a certain ease, Berlusconi itself seems like a way to attack a certain right wing politic and a way of life at all different of the one Berlusconi itself embodies.

Tha group that seems to come out without any excuse is the one of the political judges that are really left without any hope in the wonderful final sequence.