IS the revelation film of the season. The strangeness from Roberto went is recording record numbers. To the cinema from 27 Octoberin First week took the title of best debut of the year, cashing out over one million euros. With this weekend (November 12-13) it exceeded 4 million (4,186,247, to be precise). A resounding success. Euphoric, the protagonists. An unexpected cast: Ficarra and Picone with Toni Servillo And Luigi Lo Cascio.
A story conceived that comes from a brilliant idea
Because The strangeness like it? First of all because it is a film original, developed wellwith one behind story conceived and reworked. In fact, it was born from reflections on Pirandellomade over the years, by Robertò went. Director who here has succeeded perfectly in the intent of mix fantasy and realitywith a clear and effective storytelling.
The risk of losing the viewer in the psychological tangles And in dramaturgical-theatrical dilemmas of a Pirandello in creative crisis he was very tall. Instead it is ingenious the idea of to bring together the poet and the Nobel Prize with the figures of Nofrio and Bastianogravediggers with the passion to stage a drama, improvised actors, driven by a strong pathos. Nofrio and Bastiano they depict very clearly (also visually) the synthesis of the dilemmas that were in the head of Pirandello.
From left, Salvatore Ficarra, Toni Servillo, Valentino Picone. (Bibi Film)
The viewer sees Nofrio and Bastiano, but in reality he understands what Pirandello thinks. And these are twisted thoughts, made of masks destined to be what society believes they are, trying to express their identity, in a constant struggle between what is true and what appears. Then there is the Pirandello idea of the metatheatre, the theater within the theater, which undermines the old stereotypes.
But all this complexity does not weigh on the viewer. Because whoever watches the film is left with the rarefied atmosphere of the fog in the Sicilian alleys, the fatigue of the “dirty” lives of Nofrio and BastianoAnd beauty of these actors who, with great dignity, dialogue with those who make “noble” theater (Pirandello, in fact). And there is also space for laughterthose releases of the tragedy which suddenly becomes farce.
What’s wrong with Servillo and Ficarra and Picone?
And then, The strangeness like it because there is a powerful cast. Toni Servilloheavyweight of committed cinema, flanked by Ficarra and Picone, big of comedy. What are they doing? In this story of contrasts, a lot.
The actors are a very successful mix of comedy and drama which perfectly reflects the story in which comedians and playwrights they merge and confuse, continuously exchanging roles. Very good Ficarra and Picone, who come out of their comic clichés to turn out to be excellent dramatic performers. Always dear Toni Servillo who plays a silent Pirandello, a central figure, but who knows how to remain aloof. In this context, a minor (but important) role is played by a Luigi Lo Cascio: plays the manager of Six characters looking for an author. The result is a movie unique. On the contrary, special. Not just to see, but to feed on.
The strangeness: the plot between fantasy and reality
The film tells the genesis of Six characters in search of an authorone of the main (and troubled) works of Luigi Pirandello. But historical truth is only the frame in which a captivating intertwining of fantasy and reality develops.
We are in Italy 1920s. Luigi Pirandello (Toni Servillo) returns to Sicily for the 80th anniversary of Giovanni Verga (Renato Carpentieri). But the death of his beloved nurse Maria Stella distracts him and leads him to a series of embarrassing unexpected events (he has to wait for her to free herself a niche that appears to have been sold to several buyers). Thus the poet “stumbles” on two bizarre figures: Nofrio (Valentino Picone) And Bastiano (Salvatore Ficarra). They are gravediggers and amateur theater actors. But they define themselves as “professional amateurs”, because they love theater and do everything they can to stage their show, The trench of remorse, or Cicciareddu and Pietruzzu. A tragedy, instead of the usual comedies. Nofrio and Bastiano they succeed. But theirs is a shabby company, and the “first” is full of hitches.
Thus the theater enters the cinema
Pirandello-Servillo he attends more and more intrigued to the tests and to this “before” Nofrio and Bastiano. And so he finally draws that inspiration that was missing to carry out the work that tormented him. Six characters looking for an author, precisely. Months later he staged the show, which aroused the protests that actually took place in 1921 at the Valle Theater in Rome. The audience was then bewildered, they had never seen actors coming from the audience, rather than from the stage. It touched, and it The strangeness you touch, the physical clash between the pros and cons Pirandello.
Which can not help but sneak away. And she leaves with a dilemma: he doesn’t know if they were present at that performance Nofrio and Bastiano that he had invited. They had participated. But these characters are real or just a figment of Pirandello-Servillo?
iO Donna © REPRODUCTION RESERVED