Open Roads: New Italian Cinema at Lincoln Center 2018

[Chris Knipp]

CRATER (Silvia Luzi, Luca Bellino 2017)

Some Italian viewers have, like me, been put off by the style of this high-concept effort about a 13-year-old girl who likes to sing "neo-melodic" Neapolitan songs - and her dad who tries to turn her into a paid performer. The cinematography literally focuses on these two and a few others to the visual exclusion of all else, with the camera up so close you can hardly see anything, all backgrounds blurred-out. These non-actors might have used more skillful direction, but one of many problems is the vague line between fiction and fact.

[Chris Knipp]

NAPLES IN VEILS/NAPOLI VELATA (Ferzan Özpetek 2017)

Departing from his usual bright Roman settings, Özpetek turns to a lush, glamorous Napes full of danger and mystery in this inconclusive, but sexy and enjoyable murder mystery starring Giovanna Mezzogiorno of Muccin's Last Kiss and his own Facing Windows along with hot young actor Alessandro Borghi. No mafia in sight, and this might make you want to include Naples in your next trip to Italy.

[Chris Knipp]

EQUILIBRIUM/L'EQUILIBRIO (Vincenzo Marra 2017)

A priest, formerly a missionary in Africa, asks to be transferred from his post in Rome because of love for a coworker, and is sent to his native Campania near Naples, the "Land of Fires" where Camorra corruption causes widespread pollution from waste mismanagement, including constant burning of toxic waste. He gets into something much more complicated: standing up to the dominance of the criminal clan. Mostly non-actors are used. A small but passionate film that seemed to me the most exciting I'd seen in the series so far. Marra himself was present, proving also to be a modest but passionate man, with a sense of humor and a sense of mission.

[Chris Knipp]

FORTUNATA (Sergio Castellitto 2017)

Unconvincing "Mama Roma" knockoff is Castellitto's 6th directorial outing with the same writer. This frantic melodrama suggests he should (1) get a new writer; (2) stick to acting. He is far more respected for his 100+ acting roles (he is a consummate pro). This contains notable actors, Jasmine Trinca in the title role, who won Best Actor at Un Certain Regard at Cannes; a menacing (too menacing) Edoardo Pesce; the popular Stefano Accorsi; the hot new actor Alessandro Borghi (also in The Place and Naples in Veils in this year's Open Roads); even a wasted Hanna Schygulla.

What a contrast to yesterday's film, which was about something really significant. This is about a free lance hairdresser who runs off with her little girl's child psychotherapist. Both seem equally ditsy and irresponsible.

[Chris Knipp]

LOOK UP/GUARDA IN ALTO (Fulvio Risuleo 2017)

A young baker called Teco (Giacomo Ferrara) climbs up for a smoke break on a roof in Rome with some coworkers. They spy huge seagulls, one of which crashes, he leaps over to the neighboring roof to investigate - and launches a personal adventure into a parallel universe. This is 27-year-old Risuleo's first feature, and it's a film Michel Gondry would like to have made. A unique charmer that weaves its own special magic. Risuleo has a bright future ahead. This is way better than I imagined it would be.

[Chris Knipp]

Coming: roundup of Open Roads 2018

There will be one or two more short reviews of individual films, and a roundup listing the hits and misses of this year's Italian series at Lincoln Center.

See Maria Garcia's preview-roundup on Film Journal, which includes a description of opening night edible fare - truffle risotto and prosecco. See the article on the series by Tony Pipolo in Artforum.

[Chris Knipp]

MARCO FERRERI: DANGEROUS BUT NECSSSARY/LA LUCIDA FOLLIA DI MARCO FERRERI (Anselma Deell'Olio 2017)

Documentary about a neglected, iconoclastic, provocative Italian filmmaker (La Grande Bouffe. He deserves a retrospective.