MAratona of New Yorkaired tonight on Rai 5 at 21.20, It is the adaptation of Edoardo Erba’s theatrical piece of the same name.Directed by Luca Franco, he has as protagonists Two childhood friendsready to train with great sacrifice for participate in the New York City Marathon, The most loved and famous marathon in the world. An ambitious goal made of racing in the middle of the fog and in the slim light of the sunset seen from Hall of Genoa, That leads them to deal with their lives and with childhood memories that return to mind like old ghosts.
New York marathon: plot and cast of the film on Rai 5 tonight September 30th
Steve (Davide Paganini) and Mario (Massimiliano Caretta) are old friends. Of the two, Steve is the most confident of himselfso pragmatic and capable of always getting what he wants, and is the strongest and athletic. Mario tends to be a wingman, Often blocked by his own shyness and fear of the unknown. For many weeks they have been committed to training to participate in the next New York marathon. Every day they go to run on the heights of Genoain the unreal silence of the Mediterranean and wild woods of the Beigua Park.
The tiring routine, often interspersed with personal reflections, seems to be a constant of their life. One evening, however, things change. The dialogues, from affectionate and accomplices, come into the heart of a distant past, between questions that are not answered and ambiguous positions. The fog envelops them even more firmly, nature and the road are spectators of a testing between two friends. Mario returns with his mind to his childhood, often targeted by classmates and play. I think back to what he could have said, how to react without paralyzing. Among them, there was also Steve? How true, in Mario’s memories and psyche? Who is who?
The ending of the film is an authentic surprise. Steve and Mario are real and at the same time The metaphor of the last race of one’s life. It matters little that, it is left behind, it is the most fragile. A last stretch that shows each crease of their existence that flows, like an unstoppable tape, Along the road that could lead them to the finish line, in a higher and more eternal place of the Skyscrapers of New York.
Davide Paganini and Massimiliano Caretta in “New York Marathon”
The theatrical show, cast and locations of the film in Genoa and Savona
For the director Luca Franco, to his first feature film, The discovery of the theatrical show Written by Edoardo Erba It was a real love at first sight. The work made its debut in 1992 starring Luca Zingaretti and Bruno Armando. The great success achieved brought him to many theaters in the world and to be translated into 17 languages. Luca Franco did not want to change the text but to intervene correctly on the temporal lengthening compared to the unique act of the stage.
The temporal jumps through flasback, necessary to introduce the viewer to the unexpected final, do not remove beauty or strength to this “on the road” journey of two friends and the late awareness of an authentic drama in progress. The road, the race and the two dialogue also return the alienating effect of the theatrical work to the cinema.
To help this suspended time is The unusual and happy choice to turn between the provinces of Genoa and Savona. Naturalistic locations such as Mount Becce and the Beigua National Park, With intense colors and wild landscapes they are an ideal stage for a story that lives on dialogues, of tight comparisons to two. The right avoidance of graceful city parks or discounted coasts of sand and waves has made it possible to grasp the soul of the story. Much more suitable the hill areas such as Praglia’s plans and the Faiallo Pass, capable of giving mountain atmospheres without ever being didactic.
The winning choice doubles with the cast. Davide Paganini (Under the sun of Tuscany) And Massimiliano Caretta (Without ever losing one day) they are talented actors who managed to return the sense of effort of the race and the daily challenge against oneself and the world.