You Can’t Go Home Again: Martone’s Latest Asserts the Past is a Dangerous Place
In yet another foray into the teeming possibilities of Naples, Mario Martone directs an adaptation of Ermanno Rea’s Nostalgia, published after the author’s death in 2016. Less than a year after premiering his The King of Laughter (2021), a biography of Neopolitan comedic theater notable Eduardo Scarpetta and his court case which solidified the legality of parodies, Martone is back in the present in this mournful tale of the past catching up with a man who’s been avoiding it for the past four decades.
Initially a gentle exploration of the intoxicating comfort in delving into the carefree days of youth, events take a sinister turn when an inevitable confrontation with the best friend he abandoned gets ugly.…...
In yet another foray into the teeming possibilities of Naples, Mario Martone directs an adaptation of Ermanno Rea’s Nostalgia, published after the author’s death in 2016. Less than a year after premiering his The King of Laughter (2021), a biography of Neopolitan comedic theater notable Eduardo Scarpetta and his court case which solidified the legality of parodies, Martone is back in the present in this mournful tale of the past catching up with a man who’s been avoiding it for the past four decades.
Initially a gentle exploration of the intoxicating comfort in delving into the carefree days of youth, events take a sinister turn when an inevitable confrontation with the best friend he abandoned gets ugly.…...
- 2/2/2023
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
Italian auteur Mario Martone, who was recently in Cannes with “Nostalgia,” is set to direct a high-profile doc about the late Massimo Troisi, one of Italy’s most beloved comic actors who starred in the Oscar-winning film “Il Postino.”
Troisi, who played the simple postman who rides his bicycle on the sandy terrain of an Italian island to deliver mail to his sole client, the Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, died tragically of congenital heart failure at age 41 in June 1994, the day after “Il Postino” finished shooting at Rome’s Cinecittà studios.
The film directed by Michael Radford, which also starred Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Philippe Noiret, became an arthouse sensation one year later when it opened in the U.S. distributed by Miramax.
“Il Postino” went on to win an Oscar in 1996 for best dramatic score, having earned five nominations, including for best film, as well as best director for Radford,...
Troisi, who played the simple postman who rides his bicycle on the sandy terrain of an Italian island to deliver mail to his sole client, the Nobel Prize-winning poet Pablo Neruda, died tragically of congenital heart failure at age 41 in June 1994, the day after “Il Postino” finished shooting at Rome’s Cinecittà studios.
The film directed by Michael Radford, which also starred Maria Grazia Cucinotta and Philippe Noiret, became an arthouse sensation one year later when it opened in the U.S. distributed by Miramax.
“Il Postino” went on to win an Oscar in 1996 for best dramatic score, having earned five nominations, including for best film, as well as best director for Radford,...
- 7/28/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Hometowns forget us quickly when we leave them, even if some of the people left behind do not. Architecture, infrastructure and whole communities can change with scant warning or regard for our memories, or our bearings when we return. When you go home again — and you can, contrary to the popular adage — even what you remember has to be reintroduced to you; sidewalks once accustomed to your footprints have to be broken in again, like a new pair of shoes. For Felice, an unmoored Italian expat visiting Naples after a four-decade absence, it’s not what he recognizes of his home city that brings him comfort, but the new, younger life surging past the ghosts that kept him away so long. “Nostalgia” is thus a barbed title for Mario Martone’s gruffly lyrical urban portrait: Sometimes you need to go back, the film says, but it’s best to keep looking forward as you do.
- 5/24/2022
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
The Hand Of God won four prizes including best film, best director and best supporting actress.
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God won four prizes at the 67th David di Donatello awards, including best film (the first Netflix title to do so), best director and best supporting actress for Teresa Saponangelo.
The Oscar-nominated coming-of-age drama also shared the cinematography prize with Gabriele Mainetti’s Venice competition title Freaks Out, which won six awards in total, including prizes for the producers, production design, hairdressing, make-up and VFX.
The two films both had the highest number of nominations with 16.
The in-person...
Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God won four prizes at the 67th David di Donatello awards, including best film (the first Netflix title to do so), best director and best supporting actress for Teresa Saponangelo.
The Oscar-nominated coming-of-age drama also shared the cinematography prize with Gabriele Mainetti’s Venice competition title Freaks Out, which won six awards in total, including prizes for the producers, production design, hairdressing, make-up and VFX.
The two films both had the highest number of nominations with 16.
The in-person...
- 5/4/2022
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
The David di Donatello Awards were held in Rome on Tuesday evening, the first time Italy’s equivalent to the Oscar has had a fully in-person ceremony in the pandemic era. Taking top honors was Paolo Sorrentino’s The Hand Of God which scooped Best Film and Director as well as Best Supporting Actress for Teresa Saponangelo and a tie for Best Cinematography. In the latter category, The Hand Of God shared the win with Freaks Out, a fantasy drama that likewise debuted in Venice.
Sorrentino’s autobiographical drama launched on the Lido last September where it won the Grand Jury Prize. A Netflix title, it went on to myriad festival and critics prizes and was also nominated for an Oscar as Best International Feature.
Freaks Out, directed by Gabriele Mainetti, also picked up prizes for Producer, Production Design, Hair and Makeup. Other titles to figure in the David di...
Sorrentino’s autobiographical drama launched on the Lido last September where it won the Grand Jury Prize. A Netflix title, it went on to myriad festival and critics prizes and was also nominated for an Oscar as Best International Feature.
Freaks Out, directed by Gabriele Mainetti, also picked up prizes for Producer, Production Design, Hair and Makeup. Other titles to figure in the David di...
- 5/4/2022
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Paolo Sorrentino’s Oscar-nominated autobiographical drama “The Hand of God” took top honors at Italy’s 67th David di Donatello Awards, winning best picture, director, supporting actress and tying for the best cinematography statuette.
Sorrentino’s Naples-set film about the personal tragedy and other vicissitudes that drove him to become a top notch film director had been the frontrunner along with young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out.”
“Freaks Out” won six prizes, including for its producer, Andrea Occhipinti, as well as cinematographer, set design, and effects.
The cinematography prize, which was a tie, was split between “Hand of God” Dp Daria D’Antonio, marking the first time this David goes to a woman, and Michele Attanasio for “Freaks Out.”
The Davids were held as a fully in-person ceremony at Rome’s Cinecittà studios just as the famed facilities undergo a radical renewal being...
Sorrentino’s Naples-set film about the personal tragedy and other vicissitudes that drove him to become a top notch film director had been the frontrunner along with young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out.”
“Freaks Out” won six prizes, including for its producer, Andrea Occhipinti, as well as cinematographer, set design, and effects.
The cinematography prize, which was a tie, was split between “Hand of God” Dp Daria D’Antonio, marking the first time this David goes to a woman, and Michele Attanasio for “Freaks Out.”
The Davids were held as a fully in-person ceremony at Rome’s Cinecittà studios just as the famed facilities undergo a radical renewal being...
- 5/3/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
As they celebrate being held as a physical event, Italy’s upcoming 67th David di Donatello Awards epitomize the ongoing shift in generations and genres that is underway in Cinema Italiano.
Leading the pack this year are seasoned auteur Paolo Sorrentino’s most personal film “The Hand of God” and young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out,” which is set in 1943 Rome and involves four “freaks” working in a circus when the Eternal City is bombed by Allied Forces. Both pics scored 16 nominations each.
Close behind are Mario Martone’s classic biopic “The King of Laughter,” about popular early 20th-century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta, with 14 noms. Then come Leonardo Di Costanzo’s subtle prison drama “Ariaferma” and “Diabolik,” an adaptation of a comic book about a charming master thief, directed by Marco and Antonio Manetti, both with 11 noms a piece.
“We...
Leading the pack this year are seasoned auteur Paolo Sorrentino’s most personal film “The Hand of God” and young helmer Gabriele Mainetti’s second feature, the elegant effects-laden historical fantasy “Freaks Out,” which is set in 1943 Rome and involves four “freaks” working in a circus when the Eternal City is bombed by Allied Forces. Both pics scored 16 nominations each.
Close behind are Mario Martone’s classic biopic “The King of Laughter,” about popular early 20th-century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta, with 14 noms. Then come Leonardo Di Costanzo’s subtle prison drama “Ariaferma” and “Diabolik,” an adaptation of a comic book about a charming master thief, directed by Marco and Antonio Manetti, both with 11 noms a piece.
“We...
- 4/30/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” and Gabriele Mainetti’s “Freaks Out” lead the pack at the David di Donatello Awards this year with 16 nominations each.
Here’s the complete list of nominees:
Picture
“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Leonardo Di Costanzo
“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino
“Ennio,” Giuseppe Tornatore
“Freaks Out,” Gabriele Mainetti
“Qui Rido Io” (The King of Laughter), Mario Martone
Director
“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Leonardo Di Costanzo
“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino
“Ennio,” Giuseppe Tornatore
“Freaks Out,” Gabriele Mainetti
“Qui Rido Io” (The King of Laughter), Mario Martone
Debut Director
“The Bad Poet,” Gianluca Jodice
“Maternal,” Maura Delpero
“Small Body,” Laura Samani
“Re Granchio” (The Legend of King Crab), Alessio Rigo De Righi, Matteo Zoppis
“Una Femmina” (The Code of Silence), Francesco Constabile
Producer
“A Chiara,” Jon Coplon, Paolo Carpignano, Ryan Zacarias, Jonas Carpignano (Stayblack Productions) — Rai Cinema
“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Carlo Cresto...
Here’s the complete list of nominees:
Picture
“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Leonardo Di Costanzo
“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino
“Ennio,” Giuseppe Tornatore
“Freaks Out,” Gabriele Mainetti
“Qui Rido Io” (The King of Laughter), Mario Martone
Director
“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Leonardo Di Costanzo
“The Hand of God,” Paolo Sorrentino
“Ennio,” Giuseppe Tornatore
“Freaks Out,” Gabriele Mainetti
“Qui Rido Io” (The King of Laughter), Mario Martone
Debut Director
“The Bad Poet,” Gianluca Jodice
“Maternal,” Maura Delpero
“Small Body,” Laura Samani
“Re Granchio” (The Legend of King Crab), Alessio Rigo De Righi, Matteo Zoppis
“Una Femmina” (The Code of Silence), Francesco Constabile
Producer
“A Chiara,” Jon Coplon, Paolo Carpignano, Ryan Zacarias, Jonas Carpignano (Stayblack Productions) — Rai Cinema
“Ariaferma” (The Inner Cage), Carlo Cresto...
- 4/30/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s True Colours has taken world sales on Italian director Mario Martone’s Cannes competition entry “Nostalgia,” starring Pierfrancesco Favino, who is known to Cannes audiences as the protagonist of Marco Bellocchio’s 2019 drama “The Traitor.”
Set in Martone’s native Naples, “Nostalgia” sees Favino play the middle-aged Felice Lasco, who returns to the bustling port city after having lived in Egypt for 40 years. Once back, he drowns into the memories of a distant life he spent in his hometown.
Martone will be returning to a Cannes competition berth with “Nostalgia” 27 years after his Elena Ferrante adaptation “L’amore molesto” (“Troubling Love”) launched in competition from the Croisette in 1995. His “The Scent of Blood” was in Directors’ Fortnight in 2004.
But the Neapolitan film and stage director has mostly been a Venice aficionado, most recently with “The Mayor of Rione Sanità” in 2019 and “The King of Laughter” in 2021, both sold by True Colours.
Set in Martone’s native Naples, “Nostalgia” sees Favino play the middle-aged Felice Lasco, who returns to the bustling port city after having lived in Egypt for 40 years. Once back, he drowns into the memories of a distant life he spent in his hometown.
Martone will be returning to a Cannes competition berth with “Nostalgia” 27 years after his Elena Ferrante adaptation “L’amore molesto” (“Troubling Love”) launched in competition from the Croisette in 1995. His “The Scent of Blood” was in Directors’ Fortnight in 2004.
But the Neapolitan film and stage director has mostly been a Venice aficionado, most recently with “The Mayor of Rione Sanità” in 2019 and “The King of Laughter” in 2021, both sold by True Colours.
- 4/22/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Toni Servillo stars in a Genovese film for the first time.
Paolo Genovese’s The First Day Of My Life, starring Toni Servillo, and now in post-production, has sold widely for Italian sales outfit True Colours, following the European Film Market.
The film has been acquired for Benelux (Paradiso Entertainment), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Israel (Nachshon), former Yugoslavia (Stars Media), Finland (Future Films) and Portugal (Outsider Pictures).
The First Day Of My Life is an adaptation of Genovese’s novel of the same title. about a group of individuals who meet a stranger, played by Servillo, at the worst moment in their lives.
Paolo Genovese’s The First Day Of My Life, starring Toni Servillo, and now in post-production, has sold widely for Italian sales outfit True Colours, following the European Film Market.
The film has been acquired for Benelux (Paradiso Entertainment), Taiwan (Swallow Wings), Israel (Nachshon), former Yugoslavia (Stars Media), Finland (Future Films) and Portugal (Outsider Pictures).
The First Day Of My Life is an adaptation of Genovese’s novel of the same title. about a group of individuals who meet a stranger, played by Servillo, at the worst moment in their lives.
- 3/4/2022
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Film Movement has acquired U.S. rights to the dramedy Queen of Glory, written, directed by and starring Nana Mensah, from Magnolia Pictures International, with plans to release it in theaters and on digital and VOD later this year.
In her debut feature, Mensah plays Sarah, a Ghanaian-American doctoral student at Columbia University who is weeks away from following her very married boyfriend to Ohio when her mother dies suddenly, leaving her as the owner of the small, Bronx-based Christian bookstore, King of Glory. Tasked with planning a culturally respectful funeral befitting the family matriarch, Sarah is forced to juggle the expectations of her loving, yet demanding family while also navigating the reappearance of her estranged father. Aided by an only-in-New York ensemble of Eastern European neighbors, feisty African aunties and a no-nonsense ex-con co-worker, she faces her new responsibilities while figuring out how to remain true to herself.
In her debut feature, Mensah plays Sarah, a Ghanaian-American doctoral student at Columbia University who is weeks away from following her very married boyfriend to Ohio when her mother dies suddenly, leaving her as the owner of the small, Bronx-based Christian bookstore, King of Glory. Tasked with planning a culturally respectful funeral befitting the family matriarch, Sarah is forced to juggle the expectations of her loving, yet demanding family while also navigating the reappearance of her estranged father. Aided by an only-in-New York ensemble of Eastern European neighbors, feisty African aunties and a no-nonsense ex-con co-worker, she faces her new responsibilities while figuring out how to remain true to herself.
- 2/28/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Answering the SunInternational Film Festival Rotterdam have announced the full lineup for their "scaled-down" 51st edition, which will take place online between January 26 — February 6. As part of a full, nationwide lockdown, cinemas will remain closed in the Netherlands until at least 14 January. Tiger COMPETITIONAchrome (Maria Ignatenko)The Cloud Messenger (Rahat Mahajan)The Child (Marguerite de Hillerin/Félix Dutilloy-Liégeois)Eami (Paz Encina)Excess Will Save Us (Morgane Dziurla-Petit)Kafka for Kids (Roee Rosen)Malintzin 17 (Mara Polgovsky/Eugenio Polgovsky)Met mes (Sam de Jong)The Plains (David Easteal)Proyecto Fantasma (Roberto Doveris)Le rêve et la radio (Renaud Després-Larose/Ana Tapia Rousiouk)Silver Bird and Rainbow Fish (Lei Lei)To Love Again (Gao Linyang)Yamabuki (Juichiro Yamasaki)Big Screen COMPETITIONAssault (Adilkhan Yerzhanov)Broadway (Christos Massalas)Third Grade (Jacques Doillon)Daryn’s Gym (Brett Michael Innes)Drifting Petals (Clara Law)The Harbour (Rajeev Ravi)The Island (Anca Damian)Kung Fu Zohra (Mabrouk El Mechri...
- 1/7/2022
- MUBI
Festival
The Italian Cultural Institute in London, La Biennale di Venezia and Curzon have teamed for ‘From Venice to London,’ a season where seven films from Venezia 78 will be shown at Curzon cinemas across London from Nov. 18-22.
“The Lost Daughter,” directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal will open the season and “The Hand of God,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will close it. The other selections include “Qui rido io,” directed by Mario Martone; “La santa piccola, directed by Silvia Brunelli, “La ragazza ha volato, directed by Wilma Labate,” “Il buco,” directed by Michelangelo Frammartino; and “Ariaferma,” directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo.
President of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “This year the selection has been praised for its exceptional artistic quality. We are sure the London audience will appreciate its high calibre.”
Katia Pizzi, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in London, added: “It’s my special pleasure to welcome to...
The Italian Cultural Institute in London, La Biennale di Venezia and Curzon have teamed for ‘From Venice to London,’ a season where seven films from Venezia 78 will be shown at Curzon cinemas across London from Nov. 18-22.
“The Lost Daughter,” directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal will open the season and “The Hand of God,” directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will close it. The other selections include “Qui rido io,” directed by Mario Martone; “La santa piccola, directed by Silvia Brunelli, “La ragazza ha volato, directed by Wilma Labate,” “Il buco,” directed by Michelangelo Frammartino; and “Ariaferma,” directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo.
President of the Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “This year the selection has been praised for its exceptional artistic quality. We are sure the London audience will appreciate its high calibre.”
Katia Pizzi, director of the Italian Cultural Institute in London, added: “It’s my special pleasure to welcome to...
- 10/22/2021
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The Venice Film Festival, the Italian Cultural Institute in London, and exhibitor Curzon are tying up on London screening series From Venice To London (18 – 22 November).
Seven films from Venezia 78 have been chosen to be shown in London with appearances by filmmakers and cast.
The Lost Daughter, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, will be the opening night film on the 18 November and The Hand of God, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will be closing the series on 22 November.
The seven films that have been handpicked are the following:
The Lost Daughter – Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Hand of God – Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Qui Rido Io – Directed by Mario Martone
La Santa Piccola – Directed by Silvia Brunelli
La Ragazza Ha Volato – Directed by Wilma Labate
Il Buco – Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino
Ariaferma – Directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo
President of The Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “We are delighted to partner with the Italian...
Seven films from Venezia 78 have been chosen to be shown in London with appearances by filmmakers and cast.
The Lost Daughter, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, will be the opening night film on the 18 November and The Hand of God, directed by Paolo Sorrentino, will be closing the series on 22 November.
The seven films that have been handpicked are the following:
The Lost Daughter – Directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal
The Hand of God – Directed by Paolo Sorrentino
Qui Rido Io – Directed by Mario Martone
La Santa Piccola – Directed by Silvia Brunelli
La Ragazza Ha Volato – Directed by Wilma Labate
Il Buco – Directed by Michelangelo Frammartino
Ariaferma – Directed by Leonardo Di Costanzo
President of The Venice Biennale Roberto Cicutto said: “We are delighted to partner with the Italian...
- 10/22/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Above: Qui rido io (The King of Laughter).Ever so slowly, at least in good parts of Europe, life is returning more and more to a semblance of what we once knew as normal—setbacks and snags included, of course.The 2021 Venice Film Festival was a curious example of that on the organizational level: The same security measures as last year plus vaccination or recovery certificates on top; the same ticketing system, but much more attendees. Which ended in a bit of a massive mess as getting access to screenings became an ordeal. The festival probably hoped that if they just offered enough possibilities to watch a film then everything would even out somehow, but that was not the case, for myriads of reasons, some too mathematical to get into here and others too tediously defined by circumstances. These things happen when a team has to deal with dozens and...
- 9/28/2021
- MUBI
Palace Films buys two for Australia.
Palace Film has acquired Australian rights to a brace of Italian films from Rome-based True Colours: Mario Martone’s Venice 2021 competition title The King Of Laughter, starring Toni Servillo, and Paolo Genovese’s upcoming comedy drama Superheroes.
True Colours has also sold The King Of Laughter to Leopardo Filmes for Portugal, Betafilm for Bulgaria and Stars Media for the former Yugoslavia territories. Film Movement earlier acquired North American rights.
Additionally, Superheroes has sold to L’Atelier d’Images for France and to Cinelibri for Bulgaria. It will be released in Italy at Christmas by Medusa.
Further...
Palace Film has acquired Australian rights to a brace of Italian films from Rome-based True Colours: Mario Martone’s Venice 2021 competition title The King Of Laughter, starring Toni Servillo, and Paolo Genovese’s upcoming comedy drama Superheroes.
True Colours has also sold The King Of Laughter to Leopardo Filmes for Portugal, Betafilm for Bulgaria and Stars Media for the former Yugoslavia territories. Film Movement earlier acquired North American rights.
Additionally, Superheroes has sold to L’Atelier d’Images for France and to Cinelibri for Bulgaria. It will be released in Italy at Christmas by Medusa.
Further...
- 9/23/2021
- by Gabriele Niola
- ScreenDaily
The Venice Film Festival is exerting a positive impact on the Italian box office where Mario Martone’s “The King of Laughter” (“Qui Rido Io”) got a boost over the weekend from its Lido launch that landed the Toni Servillo-starrer in the number two spot after Marvel’s “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.”
Italy’s box office results this past weekend saw “King of Laughter,” in which Servillo plays Neapolitan theater luminary Eduardo Scarpetta, score €314,840 from 291 screens via 01 Distribution for a €1,079 per screen average. That’s not bad considering that Italian movie theaters are operating at 50% capacity due to Covid-19 health safety measures and that Martone’s pic didn’t win any Venice prizes.
To put Martone’s “King” post-Venice result into perspective, “Shang-Chi,” in its second Italian frame, pulled €692,791, for a €1,143 per-screen average, and a total €2.7 million ($3.1 million) Italian haul to date via Disney.
Italy’s box office results this past weekend saw “King of Laughter,” in which Servillo plays Neapolitan theater luminary Eduardo Scarpetta, score €314,840 from 291 screens via 01 Distribution for a €1,079 per screen average. That’s not bad considering that Italian movie theaters are operating at 50% capacity due to Covid-19 health safety measures and that Martone’s pic didn’t win any Venice prizes.
To put Martone’s “King” post-Venice result into perspective, “Shang-Chi,” in its second Italian frame, pulled €692,791, for a €1,143 per-screen average, and a total €2.7 million ($3.1 million) Italian haul to date via Disney.
- 9/15/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The Great Beauty and The Hand Of God star Toni Servillo plays Neopolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta in The King Of Laughter (Qui Rido Io), Mario Martone’s latest Venice Film Festival competition premiere. An affectionate, theatrical portrait set in the early 20th century, it culminates in an historic court case, but the build-up is leisurely to a fault.
We first meet Scarpetta when he’s preparing to go on stage. It’s a place where he seems the happiest, if you discount the beds of various female family members. That pretty much sums up the characterization that takes over two hours to repeat. We see that Scarpetta craves the adulation and laughter of the audience, and is having affairs with both his wife’s sister and his wife’s niece. Everyone knows that the resulting children are his, but it’s barely spoken of: he’s known as “Uncle” to the kids.
We first meet Scarpetta when he’s preparing to go on stage. It’s a place where he seems the happiest, if you discount the beds of various female family members. That pretty much sums up the characterization that takes over two hours to repeat. We see that Scarpetta craves the adulation and laughter of the audience, and is having affairs with both his wife’s sister and his wife’s niece. Everyone knows that the resulting children are his, but it’s barely spoken of: he’s known as “Uncle” to the kids.
- 9/11/2021
- by Anna Smith
- Deadline Film + TV
Italian auteur Mario Martone is a Venice aficionado. He was recently in competition on the Lido in 2018 with “Capri Revolution,” and then again in 2019 with “The Mayor of Rione Sanità,” a contemporary adaptation of the play about organized crime by late Neapolitan playwright Eduardo De Filippo. The Naples native is vying for the Golden Lion this time with “The King of Laughter,” a historical drama about Neapolitan theater luminary Eduardo Scarpetta — played by Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”) — who was De Filippo’s father.
In 1904, at the height of his popularity, Scarpetta took a great risk: He staged a parody of “La figlia di Iorio,” a tragedy written by the greatest Italian poet of the day, Gabriele D’Annunzio. After all hell broke loose, Scarpetta ended up being sued for plagiarism by D’Annunzio himself. It was the beginning of the first copyright lawsuit in Italy, and a draining experience for Scarpetta and his family.
In 1904, at the height of his popularity, Scarpetta took a great risk: He staged a parody of “La figlia di Iorio,” a tragedy written by the greatest Italian poet of the day, Gabriele D’Annunzio. After all hell broke loose, Scarpetta ended up being sued for plagiarism by D’Annunzio himself. It was the beginning of the first copyright lawsuit in Italy, and a draining experience for Scarpetta and his family.
- 9/10/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The King of Laughter is a feast of a film in which overindulgence seems unavoidable. The languorous biopic by Italian director Mario Martone attempts to cover — with varying degrees of success — the personal and professional life of celebrated Neapolitan playwright Eduardo Scarpetta. It’s a dazzling and technically brilliant feat, the work of an ambitious, experienced and passionate director. But running more than two hours long, it will leave viewers satiated but slightly fatigued and perhaps even a little confused.
Before we begin, a brief introduction to Scarpetta for those unfamiliar: He was born in Naples in 1853 to middle-class ...
Before we begin, a brief introduction to Scarpetta for those unfamiliar: He was born in Naples in 1853 to middle-class ...
The King of Laughter is a feast of a film in which overindulgence seems unavoidable. The languorous biopic by Italian director Mario Martone attempts to cover — with varying degrees of success — the personal and professional life of celebrated Neapolitan playwright Eduardo Scarpetta. It’s a dazzling and technically brilliant feat, the work of an ambitious, experienced and passionate director. But running more than two hours long, it will leave viewers satiated but slightly fatigued and perhaps even a little confused.
Before we begin, a brief introduction to Scarpetta for those unfamiliar: He was born in Naples in 1853 to middle-class ...
Before we begin, a brief introduction to Scarpetta for those unfamiliar: He was born in Naples in 1853 to middle-class ...
“I’ve never liked artists who have more fun offstage than onstage,” says Italian comic star Eduardo Scarpetta (played by Toni Servillo) in “The King of Laughter.” If that was indeed Scarpetta’s belief, he would have thoroughly approved of Mario Martone’s big, brash, garishly frosted celebration cake of a biopic, in which everyone involved seems to be having the very best of times, tumbling onto screen with the breathless energy of a community theater crew given a very generous spotlight. How much fun viewers will be having with them is open to question. Those au fait with the particular chapter of Italian theater history outlined in Martone’s film might join in the eager applause from the local press contingent at Venice. Others may be more bemused by its unrelenting, dialed-to-11 spirit of cinematic carousing.
“The King of Laughter” is Martone’s third film in four years to premiere in competition at Venice,...
“The King of Laughter” is Martone’s third film in four years to premiere in competition at Venice,...
- 9/8/2021
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Film Movement has acquired U.S. rights to Italian director Mario Martone’s “The King of Laughter” (“Qui Rido Io”) ahead of its world premiere Tuesday in competition at the Venice Film Festival.
The film, being sold internationally by Italy’s True Colours, toplines Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”) as popular and prolific early 20th century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta.
In 1904, at the height of his popularity, Scarpetta took a great risk: he staged a parody of “La figlia di Iorio,” a tragedy written by the greatest Italian poet of the day, Gabriele D’Annunzio. After all hell broke loose, Scarpetta ended up being sued for plagiarism by D’Annunzio himself. It was the beginning of the first copyright lawsuit in Italy, and a draining experience for Scarpetta and his family. It was also a challenging time that he overcame with an act worthy of a great thespian.
Film...
The film, being sold internationally by Italy’s True Colours, toplines Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”) as popular and prolific early 20th century Neapolitan actor and playwright Eduardo Scarpetta.
In 1904, at the height of his popularity, Scarpetta took a great risk: he staged a parody of “La figlia di Iorio,” a tragedy written by the greatest Italian poet of the day, Gabriele D’Annunzio. After all hell broke loose, Scarpetta ended up being sued for plagiarism by D’Annunzio himself. It was the beginning of the first copyright lawsuit in Italy, and a draining experience for Scarpetta and his family. It was also a challenging time that he overcame with an act worthy of a great thespian.
Film...
- 9/6/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The country’s box office is still sputtering but Italian cinema is instead “in a state of grace,” as Venice chief Alberto Barbera put it recently as he announced the five features from Italy that are competing for the fest’s Golden Lion. It’s the most he’s ever selected from Italy.
And Barbera is adamant that he didn’t allocate almost one-fourth of Venice’s 21 competition slots to Cinema Italiano “to support our colors at a difficult time.”
“Some years he selects very little from Italy,” notes Barbara Salabè, who is the top Warner Bros. exec in Italy. “But this year Alberto told me: ‘the [Italian] films are good.’”
The Italian contingent on the Lido spans a wide range of cinematic styles, from “Il Buco,” an eclectic film with no dialogue or music about a group of speleologists who, in 1961, discover the world’s second-deepest cave — directed by underground helmer Michelangelo Frammartino,...
And Barbera is adamant that he didn’t allocate almost one-fourth of Venice’s 21 competition slots to Cinema Italiano “to support our colors at a difficult time.”
“Some years he selects very little from Italy,” notes Barbara Salabè, who is the top Warner Bros. exec in Italy. “But this year Alberto told me: ‘the [Italian] films are good.’”
The Italian contingent on the Lido spans a wide range of cinematic styles, from “Il Buco,” an eclectic film with no dialogue or music about a group of speleologists who, in 1961, discover the world’s second-deepest cave — directed by underground helmer Michelangelo Frammartino,...
- 9/4/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The programme for the 2021 Venice Film Festival has been unveiled, and includes new films from Pedro Almodóvar, Jane Campion, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Michelangelo Frammartino, Pablo Larraín, Paul Schrader, Ridley Scott, and more.Parallel MothersCOMPETITIONParallel Mothers (Pedro Almodóvar)Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon (Ana Lily Amirpour)Un Autre Monde (Stephane Brize)The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion)America LatinaL’Evenement (Audrey Diwan)Official CompetitionThe Hole (Michelangelo Frammartino)Sundown (Michel Franco)Lost Illusions (Xavier Giannoli)The Lost Daughter (Maggie Gyllenhaal)Spencer (Pablo Larrain)Freaks Out (Gabriele Mainetti)Qui Rido Io (Mario Martone)On The Job: The Missing 8 (Erik Matti)Leave No Traces (Jan P. Matuszyński)Captain Volkonogov EscapedThe Card Counter (Paul Schrader)The Hand of God (Paolo Sorrentino)Reflection (Valentyn Vasyanovych)The Box (Lorenzo Vigas)Out Of COMPETITIONFeaturesDune (Denis Villeneuve)Il Bambino Nascosto (Roberto Andò)Les Choses Humaines (Yvan Attal)Ariaferma (Leonardo Di Costanzo)Halloween Kills (David Gordon Green...
- 8/3/2021
- MUBI
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.